A True Knight of Seiros
by The Celestial Sky Dragon
Summary: Max was just a simple village boy, with dreams of being a knight. He wished to train with the best of them, and become a Knight of Seiros. He is suddenly thrust into the life of a knight when his village is attacked. Despite what's happened, he vows to achieve his dream and become a true Knight. But things aren't as it seems in the Church of Seiros.
1. Chapter 1: Savior

**Summary: Max was just a simple village boy, with dreams of being a knight. He wished to train with the best of them, and become a Knight of Seiros. He is suddenly thrust into the life of a knight when his village is attacked. Despite what's happened, he vows to achieve his dream and become a true Knight. But things aren't as it seems in the Church of Seiros. There are hidden secrets, and things that are happening behind the scenes. The world isn't as peaceful as he once thought it to be. Can he truly become a knight? Or will he fall to the ones that Slither in the Dark?  
**

**A True Knight of Seiros**

**Part I**

**White Clouds**

**Savior**

_**xxx**_

"_Day 14 of the Great Tree Moon_

_What a boring day. It started off as usual, the cold winds of Faerghus were slowly receding for the year, as the world got ready for spring. Since I live in a small village, that meant that I would be saddled with the clearing efforts. After all, our main export is wheat so we needed to have our fields ready for plantation. That meant back breaking work preparing the soil for the following months. It was a total drag._

_My father finally returned from his trip to the Empire. The seed that he gets for our crops can only be purchased there at this time of year. Meaning he would have to leave for Enbarr for a two week period. That left my mother, my sister and myself all alone in our home. Our village only had a few people in it, around 50 or so with a few being elders and others being children. That meant that the moment someone became old enough, they would be given the task of tending to the fields. The girls got lucky, they didn't have to work for as long as the boys did._

_It isn't that it bothers me, in fact I think the work is alright. It keeps me fit at the very least. I get enough sunlight and the heavy lifting at least keeps me strong. No, there are just other things I would rather do. Being a knight for example._

_My mother told me a story once. The story of the first Knight of Seiros, a young man who had come from a village just like mine. This was before the Church had been established, during the early days of the Adrestian Empire. He was known for his strength, how he helped people in need no matter the cost. If an old woman needed help tending her fields, he would take off his armor and tend those fields by himself. If he needed to take on bandits, he would gladly do it. He was among the many loyal people that protected Saint Seiros. He was there during her fight against the old king, Nemesis. He was a man that came from humble beginnings. He went on to become one of the very first Knights of Seiros, the one who started the order that carries its traditions down to this very day._

_They were traditions that I wanted to be a part of. It may be silly to have dreams of being a Knight of Seiros. I mean… almost everyone wants to be a knight, or involved with the church in some way. I remember one of my cousins left on a pilgrimage a few years ago. She hadn't returned and the church hadn't sent any news about her. I could only surmise she was killed along the way. Things in Fodlan aren't exactly peaceful in certain areas. Areas that I was taught to avoid if I was ever traveling to another city._

_Still I could dream. Most people that want to become knights want nothing more than recognition, money and titles. I however, just wanted to help people. Just like the first Knight. There was nothing else I wanted to do. There were times I wanted to tell my father this, that I wanted to head to Garreg Mach and join the order. But there were times where I chickened out. He was already becoming old. He wouldn't be able to tend the fields like he used to, and mother wouldn't be able to pick up his slack._

_I was stuck here. And I'm certain my dream of being a Knight would be just that. A dream. Perhaps that's why my mother named me after the great knight. Who knows really?_

_Oof… I've been writing in this journal for a while. I need to get started on my chores. I guess I'll write another entree tomorrow."_

He let the ink dry for a few moments before closing the small leatherbound book. He placed it in the small drawer next to his bedside table sighing softly to himself. Moving toward the window, he glanced through it, seeing the small village around him. Limestone houses dotted the area, all of them being quite aways from each other. In fact, his nearest neighbor was almost two city blocks away from him. It was quite calming actually, especially because it wasn't as noisy as other places around the world.

He wasn't an imposing person, in fact he was rather short for his age. His little sister Maya was taller than him and she was only fourteen years old. It often made him a focal point of ridicule, which he tried to ignore. But when you lived in a small village where everyone knew everyone, it made ridicule quite hard to avoid.

Having donned his tunic, the young man slipped on his boots making sure they were tightly laced before heading down stairs. Rather than finding his mother or his sister at the kitchen table, he was met with his father. His name was Marshall, he was a tall man, the tallest person he had ever met in fact. He had lightly tanned skin from working in the sun, along with a few scars on his arms from a few fights he had in his youth. Despite only being a farmer, the man was very well built. He was quite strong, being able to lift carts with ease, carts that would usually take three men to lift. He always gave the youngsters a hearty laugh, telling them to work hard if they wanted to be as strong as him. He was wearing some newsprint, something that didn't arrive in the village as often as in the city.

"Good morning father."

"Ah, it's good to see you getting up early Max. But I know you got in late last night, you could have slept in." his father replied, folding the paper in his hands, laying it on the table. The expression on his face was one of joy. He had quite the chiseled face, with a dark stubbly beard that was beginning to set in. His dark blue eyes gave his son a once over.

"It's quite alright. I know you've instilled these routines in my head since I was seven. I would rather get to work early. That way I can finish before the sun sets and have the afternoon all to myself." Max replied, moving toward the stove top. The water was still thankfully warm, enough for him to prepare a bit of tea. "Besides, maybe we could have a family game night like we used to when I was younger."

"Ha… that would be fantastic. It's been quite a long time since we've spent time as a family. Alas, your mother and sister headed toward Fhirdhiad. Your poor old grandmother suffered a fall, your uncle sent for Yuliana right away. Maya was all but insistent on coming with her, something about not tending the flower garden."

Max sighed audibly. If Maya was gone that meant her work would be saddled onto his shoulders. That meant he would have to tend the garden while preparing the fields. He would also have to clear the leaves, broken branches and whatever else was left behind from the Winter storm. He glanced back at his father, a frown on his face.

"Is it too late to join them on the journey to the capital?"

"They left at dawn, so yes."

"Damn."

"Oh, it won't be so bad son! Don't you worry, Maya convinced Tatiana to stop by and tend to the flowers for her. So you won't have to get your hands too dirty." his father said, holding back a laugh. Max rolled his eyes, sitting down across from his father. He grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl, sinking his teeth into the soft flesh of the fruit.

"So… anything interesting happen in Fodlan?" he asked, eyeing the paper his father had been reading. His joyous expression shifted into one of sadness as he placed a hand on the paper.

"Yes. There have been reports of a Bandit gang being active around this area. The Holy Knights have teamed up with the Knights of Seiros to search for them but there are no reports of their exact whereabouts. There is also one man among them that seems to be kidnapping young girls for one reason or another. I've already let the others know so they keep their daughters away from the reaches of the village. They shouldn't come here but you can never be too careful. That's why I want you to start carrying your sword, just in case."

"Okay." he said, once he had swallowed his fruit. He glanced at his tea cup, a brief look of excitement on his face. "Did the Archbishop dispatch any of the Knights to the village? I'd like to lend my sword to them if they need it."

"No. The Archbishop hasn't sent her knights here, along with that Bandit Ring, there seems to be another one active in Empire Territory, near Remire Village. There are no connections but again you can't be too careful." the man said. He finished his breakfast, standing up from his seat. "I'll let you finish up here son. You are to tend the eastern fields with Gregory's family today. We need to get them ready before the end of the month, think you can manage?"

"Yes, even though I find Gregory entirely annoying, I'll help out in the eastern fields." he said, sounding dismissive. The man clapped his shoulder, giving him a smile.

"Remember, we finish those fields early and all we have to do is plant and water them for a while. It won't be long before the wheat starts growing and we can take a bit easier."

With that, the man left, grabbing the large axe that rested by the door. He was out in a second, leaving Max alone to his thoughts. He glanced at his reflection in the tea, frowning a bit. The way his father spoke about the bandit ring made it seem a lot less serious than it was. But there had been bandits that attacked his village before. Every time they had managed to fend them off, but there were times where they were cutting it close. He was worried about what may happen especially when the Knights hadn't been dispatched.

The only way they had made it out fine the last time was because of the detainment of Knights that Archbishop Rhea had sent. If she hadn't sent some out this time, that either meant they weren't a threat, or the Holy Knights would take care of it. He couldn't very well worry about it, not when he had things to take care of.

Once he had finished his breakfast of simple fruits, he washed his lone tea cup placing it in the dish rack. He walked toward his room, grabbing the sword he kept in his closet. It was a simple iron sword, one that he had been taught to use by his father. He didn't train as often as he needed to but he could at least swing it. He took care of this weapon as if it were his child. A Knight needed to keep his sword sharp and ready in case a damsel needed to be saved. That always made him laugh, the way his mother painted it made it sound a lot sillier than it was. He took a brief moment to change his outfit, just in case.

He now wore a pair of black pants, which was made out of a stronger material. He wore a pair of armored boots, nothing fancy, just something to protect his legs. He grabbed a long sleeved shirt and placed it over his tee shirt, grabbing a pair of fingerless gloves from his dresser. Finally, he grabbed his belt, slipping it through the loops of his pants. He didn't need it, but it held the attachment of his sheathe so he needed to have it. Once he had his sword strapped to his waist, he headed off, keen on starting his chores for the day.

Despite the sun shining brilliantly over the village, it was still quite chilly. The winds of the north always made the southern parts of Faerghus cold, even into the early spring. He had grown used to it after living there for his entire life.

It didn't take him long to make it to the eastern fields. The village he lived in was all farmland, being inhabited by travelers quite a long time ago. They had four fields that needed to be tended, the eastern and western fields were left for their main crop, wheat, while the other two, the north and south fields were for fruits and vegetables. His favorite fruits were peaches while his sister adored strawberries. It always made him smile, how excited she got for simple fruits. It made him strive to tend the fields as best as he could so that only the best fruits could grow there.

"Hey Max! About time you got here!"

The sudden call pulled him out of his own thoughts. He looked up, seeing one of his friends, another villager Gregory, calling out to him. He was a young man of sixteen, with a mess of sandy hair atop his head. He was wearing a brown shirt with a leather vest over it, and a simple pair of pants and boots. He noticed a belt around his waist, holding a dagger. It seemed he was also armed, like some of the other villagers he had passed earlier. He broke into a sprint, shortening the distance between them.

"Hi Greg, I see you are prepared to fight the good fight." he said jokingly. Gregory chuckled, patting his friend's shoulder, eyeing the iron sword at his hip.

"So are you. My old man told me about these feral bandits, who're coming to take our little sisters! No way in hell I'm letting that happen. I would sooner die before those disgusting brigands some to take my little Trula!"

"Yeah well, for her sake I hope you can fight them off."

Max walked toward the nearby wheelbarrow, which contained some of the tools he would need to till the soil. He placed them on his shoulder, looking out into the fields. There were two others there, older boys who happened to be Gregory's brothers. He sighed, choosing a quadrant of the field to start. Gregory grabbed the same tools, following after his friend.

"Something wrong?" he asked. Max shrugged, glancing up at the sky.

"I was kind of hoping the Knights of Seiros would show up. The last time bandits were in the area, Lady Rhea sent a detainment. I wanted to hear some new stories you know?" he asked. Gregory nodded in understanding, taking a breath.

"You know… if you really want to be a knight then why don't you talk to your old man? I'm sure he would understand."

"I can't do that to him Greg. My father always taught me to be a responsible person. I can't just go to Garreg Mach and join the Order. Who would tend to the fields? Who would help with the harvest season? Who would go to Fhirdhiad and sell said harvest?" he asked firmly. He sighed, placing the tools down on the ground. He grabbed one of them, heading toward the end of the field. "Let's face it, my duties here are going to be my entire life. I've already made peace with that."

"Max dude… listen." Greg said, causing his friend to stop. He brushed some of his white locks out of his eyes. "You need to focus on your own happiness. I get that you want to work here and help your family, I do too. But even I've thought about leaving the village. Imagine the money you'd be making as a knight. You could support your family that way, limit how much they have to work in the fields. That way, they can still get things they need."

"I can't do that. I'd feel like I'm letting my old man down." he said with a shrug. "Let's just get this work done."

Gregory said nothing, deciding to do as his friend was doing. Getting their work done took priority after all.

* * *

Many hours had passed, and Max was finally done for the day. He and Gregory had finished two quadrants of the field, having cleared the soil of all debris. They had filled their wheelbarrows with broken branches, dried leaves, rocks and roots from the previous years crop. He and his friend sat back, drinking from their canteens as they watched the sun begin its final descent beneath the horizon. Gregory sighed happily as he corked his canteen, leaning back against the recently emptied wheelbarrow.

"Well, it's been a hard days work. We got two quadrants done, we're well on our way to beating my brothers. Hey, maybe we'll be 1000 gold richer by the end of all of this." he said jokingly. Max wiped the sweat from his brow, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Yeah maybe. I could use the gold to get some cleaning supplies for my sword."

"Ah there you go. You care about that weapon a lot you know, where did ya get it?" his friend asked curiously. Max shrugged, glancing down at his sword.

"I didn't, my dad gave it to me. He refused to tell me where it came from. All I know is that my mother was really angry with him when he handed it to me. I was ten after all, and a ten year old with an iron sword isn't exactly a good idea. It's a health hazard if anything."

"I see… I wish my old man would give me something cool. Nope, all I got was a hand me down dagger from my older brother. It's an over glorified knife." he said jokingly, patting the weapon at his hip. "Still, it's quite useful. I don't need to go far whenever I want to peel an apple."

"You should treat your weapon with respect you know. They are an extension of yourself, and the things that will save your life." the white haired lad said, causing his friend to roll his eyes.

"Yeah yeah. Anyway, the sun is down. My ma probably has food ready, you should get going. Your mom and sister are in Fhirdhiad right? That means you'll have to make your own food."

"Nothing I can't handle. See ya tomorrow, maybe we can hurry up and finish the last four quadrants so we don't have to keep wasting time here." the boy said, giving his friend a wave as he headed back toward his home.

"_Another boring day crossed off the calendar. At least we're closer to finishing up. That will always make me a lot happier." _he thought to himself.

The road home was filled with silence. Each home he passed was candle lit, the flickering flames casting shadows on the glass. He noticed a few of the other families happily sitting together at the dinner table. Some of the kids were far too young to work the fields, so they had to stay at home to be schooled. He didn't have the best education, but thankfully his mother always brought books from the Capital filled with knowledge. Among the few she did bring were books on swordplay, which he read extensively. Whenever he had the chance to hone his skills, he would. He wasn't the best fighter in the village but he could at least hold his own. It didn't take him long to make it home, it was darkened inside, meaning his father hadn't made it home yet.

"Dad? Are you home yet?" he called out. He was of course greeted with silence. He shrugged, closing the door after himself. He walked to the kitchen, grabbing a hold of the fire tome that his mother left on the table. He flipped through some of the pages, finding an easy spell to cast. Once he had readied the lamps, he uttered a small chant, directing the magic at each one.

"Ah… lovely fire light. Now that I can see, I can cook!" he mumbled to himself.

Thankfully, his mother had prepared for the trip, having left some food ready in the cooler. He read the note she had left, smiling to himself. He didn't have to spend time thinking of something to eat, all he would have to do was reheat what was already made. Or he would have, if the oven would light.

"_I wish dad would get rid of this damn thing. It's about time we got a new one, this has been here since this house was built." _he thought to himself. Grabbing one of the candelabras, he walked over to the cellar. He unlatched the door, pulling it open.

He held a hand over his mouth as he walked down the stairs. It was quite dusty in there, he briefly wondered if his mother even cleaned down there. Then again, his father was adamant about having no one going down there. Whenever he needed to replace the magic coil within the oven, he would attempt to head down into the cellar, only for his father to insist he go instead. He had always shrugged it off, deciding that it was a job suited for him. The man knew how to replace the coil so he wasn't going to stop him. But now that he wasn't around, he needed to go down there himself.

He shone his light around, briefly wondering where the spare parts for the stove were. He moved further into the cellar, setting the candelabra down on a crate. He pulled a tarp off of a larger crate, revealing the items inside. He dug around for a moment, seeing a few spare parts resting within. He sighed audibly, covering the box with the tarp. He moved toward the next one, finding it was completely sealed. The words "Don't Open" were written on top. He hummed to himself, rubbing his chin in curiosity.

"Now why would there be a box here with those words written on them? Guess it's time for me to find out." he said, drawing his sword. He wedged the tip of it at the corner, pulling it down with all his strength. A soft pop filled his ears as he continued forcing the lid off the box. Once he had gotten most of it off, he sheathed his sword, pulling the rest of it off. He peered inside, eyes widening a bit. "This is…"

He reached inside, pulling what looked like a cape from within. It was made out of a finely made silk, with golden embroidery around the edges of it. The top of the cape had golden laces, decorated with glittering white crystals. He continued pulling the cape out, taking in all of the details until he finally saw the crest in the middle of the garment. It was the crest of Seiros, the mark that the knights proudly wore. He let the cape go, peering inside the box, finding a full set of armor inside. Shoulder guards, arm guards, gauntlets, a large chest and back plate and shimmering greaves. The entire set was there and in immaculate condition. He looked around for a moment, hoping to find a sword but he didn't.

He took a step back, peering at the cape. Was this real? Was this really the armor of a Knight of Seiros? It couldn't be. Why would his father have this here of all places? He tried to recall the last time the Knights had been in their quaint little village. Some of the senior knights had been chatting amicably with the man but he couldn't really hear their conversation. The junior knights seemed to follow him everywhere and were sad when they had to go. He had only assumed the man had been an excellent host.

Max jumped a bit when he heard a creak coming from the wooden steps. He grabbed the candelabra, shining it toward the stairs. He cringed slightly when he saw it was his father. The look on his face told him everything he needed to know. He was surprised and disappointed. He bowed his head slightly, feeling bad about unintentionally upsetting the man. They remained silent for a moment, before the man finally broke the silence.

"So… you found that old suit of armor eh?" Marshall asked, forcing a smile onto his face.

"Dad… what's the meaning of this? Were you once a Knight of Seiros?" Max asked. He wanted to cut right to the chase. No use beating around the bush. The man remained silent, as he grabbed a hold of the cape, neatly and respectfully folding it before closing the box.

"Let's head upstairs, I'll tell you about it."

The silence was awkward. Due to the broken oven, they hadn't been able to reheat the food his mother had prepared. His father had brought some freshly made bread from the baker down the street so it would have to do. Normally, the man wouldn't condone drinking but he could tell they would need it. He poured some whiskey out for his son handing him the cup.

"To answer your question, yes. I was once a Knight of Seiros."

"I see… what happened, why did you quit?" the boy asked curiously. He finished eating his bread, and grabbed the alcohol his father had handed him. He didn't care much for whiskey, but the brand his father got always tasted good, especially after good bread. "The knights help people all over Fodlan. They bring peace everywhere, it's a good cause to be a part of."

"Yes they do. And for a long time, I had thought the world of them. The Knights saved our lives countless times in the past. When I was around your age, I wanted nothing more than to be a knight. My father before me, had been a Holy Knight working in Fhirdhiad with the late king's father. He was a hardass." the man chuckled, sipping his drink. "However, he taught me everything I needed to know. How to handle a sword and how to use the Royal Family's signature weapon, the spear. It was back breaking work, but it was worth it."

"So that's how you were able to teach me and Maya how to use our weapons." Max asked, earning a nod from the man. "Well… you've been training me since I was twelve, even though we don't train as much anymore."

"I'm sorry son. The reason why we don't train as much anymore is because I've taught you all of the basics. If I had started training you in advanced techniques, you would have gotten curious. You would have certainly found out about my past."

"Would that be a bad thing?" the white haired lad asked, taking a gulp of his drink. He shuddered a bit from the strength, but continued talking. "Wouldn't it be good to tell us that you were a knight?"

"I wanted to keep that life secret from you. The only one that knows that I was once a knight is your mother. There is nothing I can hide from that woman after all." he said with a laugh. He sighed, taking another sip of his drink. "My father trained me well, once I had finished my training, his superior recommended that I head to Garreg Mach Monastery to train formerly with the knights. It had been a dream come true to me. I used to idolize the knights, but now not so much."

"Why is that? What changed?" Max asked curiously.

"It was something that happened 20 years ago. My boss, Sir Jeralt had a daughter. He had fallen in love with one of the nuns in the Church. It was a birth that was kept secret from everyone, only a select few knew. It never sat well with us… Jeralt had been excited to meet his daughter, we chatted about how he would raise her. Teaching her how to use a sword and what not. We even joked about our children being best friends."

"Okay… what does your friend having a daughter have to do with you leaving?"

"I'm getting to it. Once the child was born, things became… weird. Lady Rhea had supervised the whole thing. Once the medic had checked the child over, he handed it over to her. Jeralt's wife sadly didn't make it through the birth. So she never met her child. It was a tragedy but at least the child was alive. The odd thing about the baby was well… everything. She didn't smile, she didn't cry, she always had this neutral face. Even when she was being fed she didn't seem to show disgust at the food. It was all so… unexplainable." Marshall said, finishing his drink. He reached for the bottle, pouring himself another drink.

"Lady Rhea kept saying the child would be alright. Whenever Jeralt wanted to spend time with his daughter, she would quickly whisk her away. Coming up with some sort of excuse for Jeralt not to see her. There were whispers around the monastery about the child being cursed, among other things. Everything came to a head one night when a deadly fire broke out. There had been reports of a few deaths happening. Jeralt used that as a distraction to take the child with him. To this day, I don't know where they have gone." he said, finishing the story. Max remained silent, letting his mind process what he had heard. Finally after a few moments, he decided to speak.

"This… led you to leave the Order?" he asked curiously.

"It planted the seeds. Lady Rhea was hiding something from the knights. Something that had caused Jeralt to leave. When he did leave, she made me the captain but my trust in her was beginning to waver. The bishops in the church were acting even stranger than before, and she had dispatched us to the villages around Garreg Mach following the fire. It was obvious to me that she was searching for that child. I asked her a few times but all I got was the same reply. "_You needn't worry, I only wish to make sure Sir Jeralt and the child are found and brought back safe and sound."_ it was almost as she had gone crazy. Eventually, she gave up the search." he paused for a drink, looking up at his son.

"I met your mother when I was visiting my father in Fhirdhiad. She was the late king's personal maid, and quite a ravishing little thing. It was love at first sight."

"Ew, dad!" Max cried, earning a laugh from the man.

"What can I say? You're mother was and always will be the loveliest flower in the world to me. Having met her, I wanted nothing more than to spend my life at her side. So the final thing I asked of Lady Rhea was to marry us in holy matrimony. We held our wedding in the Church of Seiros, and I hand delivered my resignation shortly after. I used my funds to purchase an old house in this village and we've been here ever since. Lady Rhea allowed me to keep the armor, in case I ever wished to return, but my faith in her had been broken by her actions. We haven't spoken in years."

"Oh." Max quipped, sipping the watered down whiskey. He set the empty glass down, a frown on his face. "Do you ever think about going back?"

"A few times. I spent twenty years in the order, how could I not think about going back? But every time I think about going back, I remember how odd the birth of my friend's child had been. How many secrets Rhea is hiding from everyone. Sometimes, I wonder why she hides them and then wonder about the things she keeps on hiding. It's best if we just stay here in our small little village."

"Where's your sword?" the boy asked, taking his father by surprise. "You have one don't you?"

"I… well I did." the man replied, rubbing his neck. "It was a special weapon that was given to me by the Church. Not everyone can wield it, I happened to be the only one capable of wielding it. So I had to leave it when I left the Church." he said.

"You have a Crest then? I've heard stories about magical weapons being wielded by people who have special crests. That means that weapon you had was a Holy Relic, like the sword that the legendary Knight Maximus had! The one given to him by Saint Seiros!" the boy said excitedly.

"Yes, except that sword needed someone with the Crest of Seiros to wield it. I don't have that Crest. I have a Minor Crest of Ernest. Quite a useful crest to bear, especially due to its effects. Stunning bandits with it was always a good pastime." the man joked. He cleared his throat, seeing the mild disappointment on his son's face. "You really like the Knights don't you?"

"Y-yes. My mother read me that story a lot when I was a kid, the story of Sir Maximus Decimus Meridius, the first Knight of Seiros. The man who along with the Ten Elites and the Four Saints faced the wrath of the fallen Hero King, Nemesis! How he went on to form the first Order of the Knights of Seiros. It's such a wonderful story, it always inspired me to do my best. Besides, didn't you name me after Sir Maximus because you believed in the core values he established?"

"I… well that's true. But the Church isn't what it was back then, 995 years have passed son. Things have changed." Marshall said, earning a sigh from the boy.

"You aren't wrong there, but those core values do exist, in the history books. The texts show Seiros and Maximus lived long happy lives. I've longed to be just like him!" the boy said firmly. He let out a small gasp, bowing his head. "I'm sorry dad, I shouldn't have said that."

"No… it's alright. Son, I know how you feel… about being here. Being a knight is in your blood I'm afraid. I was a knight, and my father before me was a knight. Our grandfather before him was also a knight. Your mother can read your emotions quite well it seems, she's been asking me with frequency about a recommendation." he said. Max's brows furrowed in confusion.

"A recommendation for what?"

"For you to head to Garreg Mach of course" Marshall said, pulling a folded piece of paper from inside his jacket, sliding it over to his son. "The two of you could use the training, your sister is quite adept with healing magic. You've shown a great aptitude as well, despite the two of you being unable to bear your own crests. I gave your sister a letter so she could enter the Magic School in Fhirdhiad. You on the other hand, are ready for the advanced course, something I can't teach you in my advanced years." he said jokingly. Max's eyes lit up, as he jumped out of his seat.

"Are you serious? You're seriously writing a letter, so that I can join the Knights of Seiros?" he asked. The man gave him a nod. Max sighed, shaking his head. "No I can't… what about the fields? Someone has to tend to them, I can't just leave and let the people of our village be shorthanded. I've… already made peace with being here. It's my task to make sure those fields are ready for the wheat."

"Son it's alright. There are more than enough people here to tend the fields. I may be old but I'm not weak. I don't mind tending the fields. I'm sure the other kids will pick up the slack knowing you are gone. Despite my apprehension with Rhea, I do know that being a knight pays well. You could help us that way." Marshall said.

"Greg said the same thing, but I just… can't leave dad. I've lived here my whole life, it would feel weird leaving."

"I felt the same way when I left Fhirdhiad you know. For weeks I kept thinking about home and worrying about my father. But I knew the man could handle himself just fine. I was a former knight, I know how to fight. If protecting your mother is what's worrying you, believe me, she can defend herself." he said, making the boy laugh.

"I guess that's true. I've always wanted to be a knight, I've longed to be one for my entire life. I guess if you really are allowing me to, then I'll head to Garreg Mach as soon as I can!" Max said, sounding excited. "This is going to be awesome, I can't wait to see the knights and train alongside them!"

Marshall couldn't help but smile. He had noticed his son had been depressed as of late. He had seen him smile more in the last few minutes than he had in the past few months. Even though he was wary about the Church, he knew he couldn't hold his son back from the world forever. He placed a hand on the table grabbing his son's attention.

"Maximus, I will give you one warning. The church is hiding many secrets from the public, even from the knights themselves. Only the higher ups know about the most important things. Sometimes, not even they know a thing. Lady Rhea is an imposing woman, I'm not sure how much she's changed during the time I haven't seen her. Be careful with her alright? Make sure she doesn't know what village we live in, she's known to make periodic visits to the homes of former knights."

Max gave his father an odd look. The story he had been told was still fresh in his mind. Was Lady Rhea that much of an imposing force? Was she actually a bad person? All he had ever heard about her were good things. The people adored her, everyone praised her. Hearing his father speak that way about her was odd. Then again, his family had never been too religious. In fact, his family had strayed away from the teachings of the Church. The village they lived in was as remote as possible. He gave his father a nod, followed by a hug.

"I promise dad, I'm not going to let the mean Archbishop of the Church know where we live. That way she won't harvest our organs." he said ominously, making the man laugh.

"I doubt she's doing that kind of thing. She may act shady, but she's genuinely a nice person. Don't fall for her charms though, you'll be cleaning her bookshelf the moment she gives you a smile."

"Don't worry, I won't fall for her charms, sir!" he said, giving his old man a salute. Marshall chuckled, giving the boy a firm pat on the shoulder. He was going to be a great knight, he could already tell.

A shrill scream broke the silence, causing the two men to jump. Max looked around for a moment, heading toward the nearest window. His eyes widened when he saw a plume of smoke rising into the sky. The wounds of windows shattering filled the air followed by even more screams. Marshall grabbed his axe, giving his son a nod.

"Looks like those Bandits did show up. Dear Goddess how I wish Rhea had sent knights here."

"Aw, come on dad. We gotta pair of knights right here! Let's go save our village!" he said firmly. His man nodded, heading toward the door.

"Stay close son, if you don't think you can take down an opponent than don't. Come back here and go into my room. Under the bed there's a box that contains our savings. Our little nest egg. Just run for it and don't look back."

"I'm not going to do that dad. I'm going to fight to save our home. Now let's stop wasting time!"

With that, the two men left the safety of their home, heading toward the center of the village. Some of the nearby homes had been lit ablaze. The sounds of battle echoed through the cool night, filling the air was the dull clangs of swords. Max was quick to draw his sword, moving toward the nearest bandit, who was about to bring his sword down on one of the elders, the baker who had made the bread his father had brought home. He pulled his sword back, driving it straight through the man's back. He gasped in pain, a soft gurgle filling his throat before he dropped to the ground. Max pulled his sword free, checking on the woman.

"Are you alright Mrs. Henderson?"

"I'm fine deary, but you have to check on the others. There are a lot of them!"

"Don't worry, we'll handle it!" he proudly declared, heading toward the center of the action.

* * *

"Hahaha! You crossed paths with the wrong person boy! I'm going to steal everything you own!" the bandit cried. Gregory laughed as he closed the distance, delivering a few quick slashes with his dagger.

"I seriously doubt it! You can barely hold that sword in your hand, what are you a thief or a jackass?" he taunted, making the man growl in anger. Gregory was pushed back as the Bandit got a new surge of strength. He ran forward, planning to end his life only for his hand to go flying. He screamed for a mere moment before a sword struck the side of his head, ending his life. Gregory sighed, turning to his friend. "That one was mine."

"You shouldn't act that way Greg. These guys are thieves and vagrants, but they're still people." Max said, wiping the blood from his sword. He looked around the village, frowning. Most of the houses were burning, and a few of their friends had tragically lost their lives defending their homes.

"Look around you. These bastards lit some of our houses on fire, stole our money and kidnapped a few girls. We cannot let them escape!" his friend said, sounding rather angry. He looked up, having heard some nearby shouts. He spotted a few hooded men running away from the village, heading towards the woods. He grinned. "Looks like the survivors are leaving, it's time for us to mount a daring rescue."

"We shouldn't do that! We need to regroup and plan a counter-attack. They have to be stationed around here if they were able to attack us this fast."

"Yeah… you go back and regroup, I'll scout ahead." Gregory said, sheathing his dagger as he raced towards the woods. Max grit his teeth, briefly glancing over his shoulder before trailing after his friend. He wasn't going to let another person, especially his friend, die.

It didn't take him long to catch up with his friend. Gregory was kneeling down next to a tree. He placed a finger on his lips, gesturing for him to look ahead. The Bandits weren't that far from them, a few paces in fact. It seemed a small group, about 5 had managed to get away. Max didn't know how many had attacked originally, but he had taken four down by the time he had met up with Greg. He hadn't seen his father in that time either, so he didn't know if he was alright or not. The two boys nodded, deciding to move up a few paces. As they did, they started to catch bits of the conversation the group was having.

"We hit paydirt with this little hick village. Not only did we score some decent money, but we managed to get our hands on a couple girls." one of them said happily.

"Did they ever tell you what they need so many girls for? Doesn't it seem excessive that we have to keep going through villages just to grab them all?" another, a seeming voice of reason asked. "I mean, I get we're taking money and shit, but I just-"

"Don't get all moral compass on me. We've been doing this for far too long, this isn't the time for you to start going soft. Just grab the squirt and let's go. We have to move before the survivors of that village come back for us." the first said firmly. One of the silent bandits knelt down, grabbing a small child from the ground, swinging her over his shoulder. Gregory's eyes widened a bit as he recognized her.

"Trula." he mumbled. Max took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. He looked at his friend, a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Stay calm, let's trail them for now. They have others that need to be saved, if we kill them here we won't be able to save those other girls." Max said. Gregory remained silent, deciding to go along with this plan.

Max didn't know what he was going to do. He had an idea of what he wanted to do but not how to execute it. He just knew that these guys were bad news. He remembered all of the training his father had given him when he had first gotten his sword. He was confident that he would be able to handle himself. He noticed the Bandits were heading towards a nearby cave system, one that his mother and father had warned him not to go in there. It wasn't a sprawling system of caverns, but it was still dangerous for younger kids. It was also the perfect hideout for a group of Bandits. The two made it to the edge of the clearing, seeing the caves not far from where they stood. There was a small fire in the center of the clearing, the two young men also noticed the large carriages that were situated in the clearing.

It wasn't hard for him to figure out what said carriages contained. Cages, several large cages, all filled with little girls. He could hear their sniffles from where they stood. The brolic looking Bandit who was holding Trula stopped at a cart closer to the clearing. He witnessed him tossing her into the cage, right into the arms of another girl. She growled angrily at the man as he slammed and locked the cage closed. Max kept his cool, his eyes carefully scanning his surroundings.

"_Three carts, all filled with cages. Five Bandits, all of them are weak, and then there's me and Greg. We are still raring to go, but this could be an issue." _he thought, as he tried to think of a solution. Greg however decided to jump the gun, waiting until the Bandits had their backs turned before moving toward the carts. Max reached a hand out to try and stop him but he was too fast for him to do anything. He hid behind the tree just in time to hide from one of the Bandits that was looking in his direction.

"_This fucking idiot!"_

Max steeled his nerves, using the treeline as cover as he tried to move to where his friend was. Thankfully, the cart was large enough to hide the two of them. Max closed the distance, grabbing a hold of Gregory's arm.

"What the hell are you doing?" he hissed, glaring at his friend. "Do you wanna get killed?"

"If it means I can save my sister, then yes!" he replied, looking through the bars. Trula was still unconscious, being cradled by another young girl, he looked at her, meeting the look on her violet eyes. "She's okay right?"

"She's okay, but I would recommend she gets medical help. If I had my stone, I could probably do something about this." she softly said, a look of anger on her face.

Max took her appearance in, she didn't look much older than the other girls, around ten years old in fact. She had long, unruly hair tied into a ponytail, with an ahoge near the front of her head. She was wearing quite the revealing outfit, two pieces of green cloth held up by a pink bow in the center of her chest. It left her abdomen and most of her lower back completely exposed. She wore powder puff pink shorts, with crossing white belts and two large pink ribbons on either side. Long, violet heeled boots were on her legs, which had light pink heart shaped brooches. She was running her glove clad hands through Trula's hair, making sure she was still breathing. She was quite mature for someone who was very young.

"We'll get you out of here okay? Just keep an eye on my sister." Greg said softly. The girl nodded, giving him a smile and a wink.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she's safe and sound."

With that Greg drew his dagger, dropping to his knees. He crawled underneath the cart, using it as a vantage point to keep an eye on the Bandits. Max did the same, keeping a hand on the hilt of his sword. "So, what's the plan?"

"Ambush them. Right now we have the element of surprise, there's only five of them. We can easily take one or two out. That only leaves three of them. They're tired from the scuffles back home, so we got the advantage."

"Okay… you take the fat one on the left and I got the one on the right." Max said, causing his friend to chuckle.

They bumped fists, before they sprung into action. Greg moved with great speed, stabbing his dagger into the fat bandit's cranium. His body dropped like a sack of potatoes, taking the men by surprise. Max drew his sword, using the momentum from the draw to slice a man's throat. He gagged on his own blood, dropping to the ground dead seconds later.

"So, we were followed after all. You dumbasses said no one was behind us!" a tall, axe wielding man said firmly. The other two drew their swords, getting ready for the fight.

"We came here to get my sister. So if you think you'll be leaving here alive, you have another thing coming!" Gregory cried, holding his dagger tightly. The axeman laughed, twirling his weapon in his hand.

"Oh, and who is going to rescue them eh? You? You two don't look like shit."

"I'll have you know, I am trained in swordplay. My father used to be a knight!" Max boasted, causing the men to share a laugh. One of the swordsmen shrugged off his comment.

"Who cares kid? We fought a supposed knight back in that hick village of yours, and he went down faster than the old man beside him. Was a tall mother fucker too, maybe you'll entertain us more than he did."

"You what?" the white haired lad cried, eyes widening in surprise. His surprise turned into anger as he angled his sword, getting ready for a fight.

He clashed swords with one of the swordsmen, sparks flying from their joined weapons. Max pushed him back with ease, watching Greg dart at the axemen, who swung his weapon with all his might at him. He delivered a few swift slashes, moving back before the man could counter-attack. Max decided his friend could handle himself easily. He placed his focus back on his own opponent, easily knocking the man back.

"Heh… you aren't half bad kid."

Max ignored the man, going in for a fake out. The Bandit saw this and easily countered his move, throwing a slash at his exposed chest. Max parried the attack, throwing another swing which was easily countered. They remained still for a moment, pushing each other back only to separate when the remaining Bandit decided to join the fight. The white haired boy grit his teeth, backing away from the two. Facing two opponents at once was something his father had taught him to deal with in the past. However, he had never actually fought anyone like this. He knew he was at a disadvantage, especially with his sword. He almost regretted never asking his father if he knew how to use a spear.

"What's wrong kid? Don't tell me you are afraid? I thought your father was a knight! Well then Mr. Knight, defeat the big bad bandits and rescue the princesses." the man taunted, making the boy hiss. He grabbed his sword tightly with both hands, just like his father had taught him.

"_Leading foot forward, remain calm and keep a firm grip on your weapon. It is an extension of who you are, and as such you control its direction." _he thought, remembering the words his father had told him.

One of the Bandits sprung forward, causing him to place his feet firmly on the ground. He angled his blade in time, catching the opposing sword with ease. He pushed the man back, throwing two swings at him, before jumping back to avoid a slash from the second Bandit. He laughed as he continued swinging and jabbing at Max, who ducked and dodged every single swipe. Max stumbled a bit from a swing that came a bit too close to his face, allowing the first to throw a jab at him. He parried it with his sword, but the blade still sliced through his arm. The cut wasn't deep but it still hurt.

"He's a slippery one. But I'm sure he's going to get tired soon. I can't wait to kill you kid. Once I do, I can have some fun with those little girls. I'll have to get my pent up aggression out on someone." the man exclaimed, trying to taunt Max. The young man was indeed angry, but he knew he couldn't let his emotions show. "Is your sister among them? Do you have one? I hope so, she's probably an adorable little thing. Perfect as a punching bag."

"Maybe after he's done beating her into a pulp, I can put her mouth to work." the second one said, both breaking into laughter. Max moved forward, driving his sword clean through the man's chest. He let out a gasp as it sliced through his aorta. Max kicked the man back, freeing his sword with ease.

"Piece of shit." the white haired lad snapped, flicking the blood off his sword. "You're next."

A sudden howl of pain caused him to stop, turning his attention toward the source. It had come from Gregory, who was clutching his arm tightly. Blood was dripping down to the ground, it took Max a moment to realize most of his right arm was missing. He was clutching what was left of his mangled limb tightly, trying and failing to stop the blood. The axeman let out a laugh, bringing his axe above his head.

"No!" Max cried, reaching out for his friend. It only took a second for his life to end. Greg's body crumbled to the ground, a large gaping hole right in the center of his forehead. He heard another scream coming in the direction of the cages. Max didn't need to see to know who it was. He felt anger coursing through his body, as he lay eyes on his deceased friend. He looked back at the Bandits, clutching his sword tightly.

"You… you fucking bastards!"

"Tch… what? Did that finally tickle your balls kid? I will admit, he was a good fighter. Maybe if he had a sword he could have done better. Now, be a good lad and die like him."

Max let out a scream as he ran at the man, swinging his sword with all of his strength. The last remaining swordsman went in to parry the move, easily countering the hit. Max knocked him back with ease, slicing his head clean off his shoulders with a single slash. The axemen didn't miss a beat, throwing a heavy attack at the boy, who dodged it with ease. The two clashed weapons, with Max swinging his sword as hard as he could. The Head bandit used this to his advantage, knocking him off balance. He took a swing with his axe, only for it to be parried by Max, who had a look of fury on his face.

"Oh man… you reminded me of that guy back at the village! He gave me the same look you are right now! He put up a fight just like you, but he fell just like the others."

Max did his best to ignore him, deciding to stop acting so irrationally and actually pay attention. His opponent moved forward, laughing as he continued to swing his axe, not landing a single hit. He laughed as he swung, forcing the boy to backpedal with each swing. The boy stumbled, falling back just in time to avoid another swing. The man's axe sailed through the air, striking the cage behind him. Max took his chance, letting out a cry as he drove his sword straight through the man, running him through completely. The bandit stumbled back, dropping his axe as he saw the sword hilted in his abdomen. He coughed loudly, dropping to his knees.

"Shit." he mumbled, falling to the ground seemingly lifeless. He took a few shaky breaths, regaining his composure as he climbed to his feet. He turned around, checking on Trula who was still crying, her sniffles muffled by the green haired girl's shoulder.

"I'm sorry." she said, bowing her head. "If I had my dragonstone, I could have helped you! But these guys took it from me the moment they captured me. I've been stuck in this cage for weeks."

"It isn't your fault. T-Trula, I'm sorry… I should have protected your brother, but I didn't. I failed you and I failed as a knight. I needed to take on that axeman myself. But now… I was stupid." he said. The little girl looked up at him, shaking her head.

"No… you still got them… that's all that matters." she replied. He shakily reached for the latch, noticing the lock had been broken off.

"I'll get you out of here. I'll need your help bringing everyone back to the village. We can... we can get some help. Send someone to Garreg Mach, get some Knights or something." he said, opening the cage. He held his hand out, giving the two girls a smile. "Might I have your name little miss?"

"Sure! My name is Nowi, it's nice to meet you."

"Call me Max, I'll get you home in no time." he said, helping her out of the cage. He took notice of her ears, which were a lot longer than normal. He tilted his head slightly. "Uh… are you an elf?"

"Hmm? Oh no no no! I am not an elf, I'm actually-" her breath hitched, eyes widening in surprise. "Look out!"

Max turned around, just in time to push Nowi out of the way. He let out a cry of pain as he felt the sword pierce through his stomach. He looked down at it, confused for a moment before following it, seeing the one who was holding it was the leader of the Bandits. He gave the sword a twist with the remainder of his strength, pulling it out. The boy fell down to his knees, clutching the wound, looking at his hands soaked in his own blood. He coughed loudly, a glob of blood staining the dirt.

"Heh… I always… win kid." the man said, finally passing on. Max let out a groan as he fell to his side, breathing hard. He could feel his consciousness beginning to drift. His eyes were wide, staring at the night sky.

"Max!" Trula cried, falling down next to him. "Don't die! You can't die!" she cried, shaking him. Nowi held her back, giving her a stern look.

"Don't shake him like that. I know a bit of healing magic, I'll try to save him!" she cried, holding her hand over the wound. It started glowing a dim green color. She hissed in anger. "Trula, look around for a pink and purple knapsack. It has a blue rock inside it, bring it to me. Quick!"

"Okay! I'll look for it!" she cried. Nowi nodded, turning back to the wounded boy, whose breathing was slowing down.

"Stay with me Max, you aren't going to die here." the girl cried. He shook his head, a frown on his face.

"I'm such an idiot… I should have… made sure he was dead. Take care of Trula will you Nowi? Go back… find my father. He's a tall man, black hair, stubbly beard. Tell him… I'm sorry."

"You're gonna tell him yourself!" she cried, focusing on her magic. "I'm going to save you!"

Max chuckled sourly as he closed his eyes. He could feel his mind beginning to drift off. Flashes of his life appeared before his mind. The day his sister was born, the first time it had snowed in the village. The harvest festivals, meeting Greg and Trula, even the conversation he had with his father. He had wanted to be a knight like Sir Maximus, and he failed.

No… he didn't fail. He gave his life to ensure that these kidnapped girls were safe. Sure, he may have not made it through, but Nowi and Trula were free. They would make sure they got out of there safe. He didn't know if he could trust a couple of kids, but it was all he had left. He could hear Nowi's voice, it was so far, so distorted. She was screaming loudly, shaking him and telling him to remain awake. He slowly opened his eyes, looking up, seeing the look of fear on her face. All he could hear was a buzzing sound, as he lost consciousness.

"_I lived a good life… as long as my life was given to save another, that's all I could ever want. It's the duty of a knight, to save those that need saving."_

* * *

"When do you think he will wake up?"

"I can't say for certain. Outwardly, he has made a full recovery, the monks have been using the best healing magics and tonics available. However, the lack of oxygen could have negatively affected his brain. He was in critical condition when arrived here after all."

"I see."

"_Hgn… what's going on?" _the young man asked himself. He could feel himself drifting, as if he were floating in a pool of water. It only took him a moment to realize what was going on. Everything felt numb, but he could still his limbs. His legs felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, and his arms subtly ached. "_These voices… they sound so foreign."_

"Is there anything we can do to jump start the process? If you say his body is fine, then perhaps he just needs something to awaken him."

"It would be wise not to do anything of that sort, milady. As I said before, he could have an underlying mental issue that we cannot determine. Until he wakes up from this coma, we cannot do anything. We must rely on prayer, perhaps the goddess will hear our plight and encourage him to awaken."

"_Awaken… coma? I'm in a coma?" _he thought. Realization hit him like a runaway cart. He was fighting… his village had been attacked. Trula had been kidnapped, along with a few other girls from his home. He was fighting some bandits… but everything was a haze after that. He tried to move, but found it extremely difficult.

"Thank you doctor. I shall call for you if I need your services once more."

"Of course, it's always a pleasure helping you, milady. I hope you have a wonderful day, may the goddess protect you."

"Likewise doctor, I shall keep you in my prayers as well." the voice, a female said. He had never heard this voice before. It sounded, sad. Oh so very sad. He didn't know why, but his heart was beating hard in his chest. Footsteps filled his ears, but he could do nothing but follow the source with his mind. He felt someone take a hold of his hand, it was shaking slightly as the grip tightened.

"I do hope you wake up soon child. We have much to discuss." the voice said quietly.

"_Who is this woman… why is she tending to me? Did something happen to me? Now that I remember… I was stabbed wasn't I? What happened after that… wait… where's Trula? Where's Nowi?" _

He needed to get up, now! Something felt wrong. He needed to find Trula, he needed to make sure she was safe. A rush of energy seemed to surge through him, as he finally regained control of his body. He unintentionally squeezed the woman's hand, causing her to gasp a bit. His eyes finally opened, after what seemed like a millenia. His vision was blurry, and he couldn't see a thing. He forced himself to sit up, only for a pair of hands to grab his shoulders, keeping him still.

"Do not be frightened, you are safe here." the woman said, causing him to stop thrashing. He felt oddly calm hearing her voice. Once his vision cleared, he finally had a good look at his surroundings.

He seemed to be in a rather fancy looking bedroom. All around him, he could see shelves filled with various texts. Quite expensive and old looking texts at that. There was a small desk at the other side of the room, resting against the wall below a shelf that contained what looked like a globe. He noticed a bright light coming from the nearby doors, which seemed to leave out into a balcony. He took a few deep breaths, his hands traveling to his stomach.

"What… what happened? I got stabbed, I was dying." he said, finally remembering what had happened.

"Remain calm, everything will be explained in due time."

His head snapped to the source of the voice, eyes falling on the woman. He had to admit, this woman was very beautiful. She was dressed in some regal looking clothing, a long white gown that reached down to the floor, coupled with a long cape. It was bright blue in color, with golden trim and various designs stitched into the fabric. She wore a golden headdress, adorned with pink flowers, which he oddly recognized. Her long green hair fell down behind her back, framing her face perfectly. Her eyes, a soft jade, bore into his own with a look of concern on them.

Just one look at this woman was enough to calm him down. He didn't know why, but he felt a sense of serenity from her. As if her expression had told him 'Everything will be just fine'. It was an odd sense, something he only felt when his mother was around. She took a hold of his hand, kneeling down beside the bed so that they were at eye level. She gave him a soft smile.

"You had us all worried. We didn't think you'd ever wake up."

"Where am I?" he asked, voice sounding a bit hoarse. The woman reached for a nearby pitcher of water, pouring him a glass. He drank it with gusto, realizing then just how dry his throat had been. She waited until he was finished to answer his query.

"You are in Garreg Mach Monastery. Tell me, do you remember who you are?"

"The monastery but how did-" he cut himself off, taking a deep breath. "Yes, I know who I am. My name is Maximus Decimus Ernest."

"Ernest you say?" she asked, eyes widening a bit. She recomposed herself, lips pressed into a thin line. "Do you know what happened to you?"

"Erm… for the most part. I remember… my village was attacked. Me and my father went out to stop the bandits. They ended up kidnapping my friend's little sister, along with a few other girls. We went after the bandits and they… they killed my friend." he said, bowing his head. "The bastard just… struck him with an axe. All we wanted was to save Trula. I managed to kill the other two but… the guy with the axe. He got me when my back was turned I… wait, where's Nowi? The girl that was with me? And Trula?!"

"Remain calm, both of them are safe. The Knights of Seiros have brought them and all the other kidnapped girls to the monastery." she said firmly.

"The Knights of Seiros… they really did come huh…" he said softly to himself. The woman cleared her throat, regaining his attention.

"You wouldn't happen to know someone by the name of Marshall would you? He was once vice captain of the guard here. One of the best Knights in the Order." she said firmly. He nodded, giving her a small smile.

"He's my father! He taught me how to use my sword. He recently told me he was a knight, but he said he hasn't spoken with Lady Rhea in years. I was going to come here to join the order just like him. He gave me a letter and everything, he also told me not to fall for Lady Rhea's charms, because she would have me cleaning her bookshelves for ages."

"Dear me, that was certainly uncalled for." she replied, a small flush on her cheeks. "Then again, Marshall was quite helpful in his youth. He probably never told you about his time as a squire correct?"

"Not really… I just found out recently about his knighthood…" he said, rubbing his chin. He looked up at the woman, jaw dropping open. "No wait… are you Lady Rhea?"

"Yes. It is a pleasure to meet you, Maximus Ernest." she said happily.

"Oh dear Goddess, I'm so sorry. I'm so disrespectful, I'm sure the Goddess would have smited me for such insolence." he cried. She shook her head, holding back her laughter.

"It's quite alright, you didn't know. Though I am saddened at the fact that your father never spoke about me to you. He was one of my best knights after all. Which is why it hurts me to say this to you. Those bandits that attacked your village ended up taking many lives that night, and among them was your father. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Huh… my father is… so that guy was really telling the truth." he mumbled, feeling tears pricking his vision. He balled his fist tightly, his fingernails digging into the flesh of his palm. "Those bastards… I'm going to find every single one of them and kill them. They're scum… they don't deserve to live."

"You share my sentiments. I've already sent my best mercenary after them. We have isolated their location. They seem to be working out of the Empire. The Emperor has provided troops as well. It seems a nobleman's daughter was among the kidnapped children. I assure you, they will be rounded up and punished swiftly."

Max remained silent, not exactly knowing what to say. He remembered his mother and his sister, a soft gasp leaving his lips. He looked up at Lady Rhea, a look of worry on his face. "My mother and sister are still alive. They left for Fhirdhiad the day of the attack."

"Yes, one of the villagers let the Knights know. They've been tracked down and will be arriving in a few weeks time. It seems your grandmother is on her deathbed. Your mother is staying with her until it is time for her to move on. I must apologize, I keep bringing you bad news. Would you like something to eat, you must be starving."

"N-no… it's alright. Um…" he paused, not exactly knowing what to say. Lady Rhea decided to stand, moving toward the desk on the other side of the room. He saw her reaching inside the drawer for something, before turning to face him. She was holding a piece of paper in her hands. He noticed the corner of it was stained red, though now it looked a bit darker than normal. It didn't take him long to realize that was blood.

"One of the knights found this in your clothing. You were near death when they found your body. The monks managed to keep you stable, however, things got worse when you arrived at the monastery. You had lost quite a lot of blood by that point and we didn't have any on hand. When I read this letter, I realized just how important of a young man you were. This is a letter of recommendation, signed by your father."

"Huh? Oh right… the letter." he mumbled, having completely forgotten about it. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, looking around the room. He noticed a mirror on the nearby nightstand and reached for it. His eyes widened when he saw his reflection. His once white hair was now pure green in color, a deep shade of emerald in fact. His eyes were also a shimmering green, having previously been a dark hazel in color. He almost dropped the mirror, wondering if the reflection on it was truly his own. "What the… what the heck happened to me?!" he cried out.

"It was an effect of the procedure, I'm afraid." Rhea said, grabbing his attention. She closed the distance between them, taking a seat on the bed beside him. "You arrived here on the brink of death. The healers were doing their best to keep you alive. Alas, you slipped away, twice. They managed to bring you back, but without blood we wouldn't be able to save you."

"Death by blood loss huh? Fantastic… that's to be expected when you get stabbed through the guts." he said, a dry chuckle leaving his lips. He noticed his hair was slightly longer than before, down to his shoulders now, when before it had been down to the nape of his neck.

"Yes, not many can survive an injury like that. But you are one of the lucky few… you remind me of another man. One that had taken an injury like yours. It was only recently that he returned to us. It seems history enjoys repeating itself." the woman said, frowning. "I wasn't going to let the son of one of my knights fall in battle, after bravely fighting off some bandits. So, I did what needed to be done. My blood courses through your veins, it was what ultimately saved your life."

Max felt his hands go numb as the mirror slipped from his grasp, shattering on the wooden floor. His eyes were locked firmly on Rhea's face. He kept staring at her, looking at her in disbelief as he glanced down at his bare chest. He had a scar from where the sword had pierced him yes, but everything else had been completely healed. He grabbed a small strand of hair, holding it up so that he could hold it. It was quite the strain since it wasn't long enough for him to completely look at it. The woman took a hold of his hand, giving him a small smile.

"You do not need to be startled. I would rather lose every drop of blood in my body than to lose a wonderful young man like you. I wasn't able to see your father, and apologize for my actions in the past. Saving your life was my way to atone for what I did to him. I'm so happy a piece of him has returned home." she said, hugging him tightly. He flailed his arms in confusion, not exactly knowing what to do. Eventually, he just hugged the woman back, it would have been more awkward not accepting the hug.

"Ahem." a stern voice called out, knocking briefly on the wooden frame. Rhea let go of Max, quickly standing up. She turned to face the new arrival, a man with dark emerald green hair, much like Max now had. He looked at the boy, sparing a glance at the broken mirror before finally looking back at the woman. "It seems the young lad is alright after all."

"Indeed he is, Seteth. He has miraculously woken up from his coma, and has made a full recovery. He is conscious, alert and answered all of my questions perfectly." she said. The man, Seteth, looked back at the boy. He remained silent for a moment, giving him a nod.

"I'm quite relieved to see you awake. You came to us in quite a grievous state, we thought you would pass on during the night. The Archbishop has remained by your side nearly from the moment you arrived. Whenever she wasn't busy with her duties, she was here caring for you. You are quite lucky."

"O-oh… is that so?" Max asked, a flush on his face. "I'm so sorry… I probably worried you a lot didn't I?"

"Of course. You are the child of a dear friend, how could you expect me not to worry? Alas, it seems duty is once again calling me. But before I leave, I must share with you some news. I have decided to accept you into the Order. Upon your graduation from the Officer's Academy, you will be inducted into the order as a Knight of Seiros. You've earned it."

"Huh… a k-knight? Me?" he asked, earning a nod from the woman. "Wow… that's… I don't think I've earned it though."

"I certainly don't think so. You may be young but you have the makings of a good knight. If Marshall Ernest recommend you, it was for a reason. You will start classes as soon as you are able. Welcome to Garreg Mach Monastery, Maximus. I hope you have a wonderful time here." Lady Rhea said happily. She gave him a small wave before leaving the room. Seteth looked at him for a moment, his gaze falling on the mirror.

"I shall send someone to pick that up soon. I will also take it upon myself to show you around the monastery. One of our medics will be by to examine you in a few moments. I'm very glad to see you awake. Please excuse me."

With that, the green haired man took off. Max couldn't help but sit in place. There were a million thoughts floating around in his mind. A myriad of emotions. His village had been ransacked, and his father had lost his life, along with his best friend. He had fallen into a coma after saving the kidnapped girls, and had been brought to Garreg Mach where Lady Rhea herself saved his life. It was all too much to take in. he heard some birds chirping outside, his head slowly turning towards the balcony. He sighed, frowning.

"I finally made it to Garreg Mach… I just wish it hadn't been like this… I'm sorry dad…."

"_I failed you." _

_**xxx(Chapter 1 End)xxx**_

**A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to this, chapter 1 of my new Fire Emblem story. It's uh... it's been rough. I would like to say this isn't my first foray into the series, but it definitely is. I did try to write a Fire Emblem Awakening x Kingdom Hearts cross-over a while back, but that just didn't go anywhere. I got stuck trying to figure out what to do next. But with the release of 3 Houses, I figured I could try again. This game is just too good and I couldn't help it. I needed to write something.**

**This story is going to feature a lot of things that I hope interest you. I'm going to be adding a lot of stuff in between the mission dates, fluffy scenes and what not. The main plot will of course be the events of the game, however, I am going to be writing some original stuff between Part I and Part II. I wsh to explore what happened during the five years Byleth was gone, seeing as Edelgard steadily rose into power and dominated everything. That will be my main focus, but I wish to tackle some other stuff during the School Arc as well. This chapter has been written 5 times already, and every draft has been different. This was the one that I felt needed to be put online. That and I made a rule for myself, once it goes up, it doesn't get changed. Chapter 1 for any story is always rough, but man this one was a pain in my ass.**

**Hopefully you all like this introduction. Chapter 2 has already been written but I'm going to hold off on it for a bit as I finish editing and what not. It should be out soon. I hope you all have a wonderful day!**


	2. Chapter 2: New Student

**A True Knight of Seiros**

**Chapter 2**

**Part I**

**White Clouds**

**New Student**

Max felt rather uncomfortable in his new uniform. He had never worn something like this before, so when he looked at himself in the mirror, he felt out of place. He had been given a long-sleeved white shirt, which was rather plain in design. He wore a pair of dark pants with golden lines running down the sides of the legs. On his feet, he was wearing a pair of knee-high armored boots. He had a ceremonial sword strapped to his right hip, held in place by a black leather belt.

It all felt surreal to him. When Lady Rhea had told him he would have to join the Officer's Academy, he had been expecting to be given a full set of armor. Instead, he had been given a regular uniform. He didn't mind it though, it was honestly one of the best outfits he had to wear. He would probably have to buy more clothing in the future since all of his stuff was still back home if his home survived the fires that are. He was still getting used to his new look, outwardly, his facial features didn't change. But his once hazel eyes were now a bright shade of green, matching the dark green head of hair he now sported. It was all unbelievable and yet, this was his new reality.

"_It's okay Max, just breathe. I'm sure everything is going to be alright." _he thought to himself, trying to remain calm. "_I just need to find Trula and Nowi and make sure they're fine. Maybe I can figure out where her brother was buried so I can take her there. And dad… I hope dad was given a proper burial."_

"I see you are finally dressed. I must say, you look like a new man in that attire." the voice of Seteth said, pulling him out of his thoughts. Max jumped a bit at his appearance but quickly relaxed. "Are you ready for the tour?"

"Of course. I uh… I want to apologize. I'm sure I must have been a challenge to take care of while I was out of it."

"You needn't need to apologize young man. Here at the monastery, we ensure that everyone who is injured recovers as quickly as possible. Come along, there is much to see and not a lot of time."

Max nodded as he followed Seteth out of the room. He spared a brief glance back at the bedroom, noticing a few maids had quickly ran inside. He figured it must have been a rather important room, likely belonging to the archbishop herself. Knowing that made him even more of a burden. The archbishop had given up her own bed just so that he could recover. Reaching the second floor, the two men quickly turned the corner, walking down a short corridor with two rooms at either side.

"The second floor is open to all the students at the monastery. It is where the infirmary is located. Professor Manuela is the head doctor, however, her medical expertise wasn't enough to save your own life. We had to call one of the best medics from the Kingdom in order to save you. Even so, her quick thinking kept you stable long enough to receive your transfusion."

"Ah! I see our young guest is finally awake. It's such a sigh of relief seeing you up and about." a brown-haired woman said, grabbing their attention. Max tilted his head slightly, briefly questioning her attire. He had to admit, even though she was twice his age, she was still quite attractive. "You must be wondering who I am, I'm Manuela, a professor here. I'm sure Seteth has told you about me?"

"Yes he has, he said you kept me stable while I was getting a transfusion done. You saved my life, I am forever in your debt Professor." Max said, bowing politely. The woman's eyes widened, a flummoxed look appearing on her face.

"Oh no no no! You don't oh me a thing dear, I was just doing my job. Besides, my medical expertise didn't cover surgery and critical blood transfusions. I merely healed all of your wounds while we waited for the doctor to arrive."

"It doesn't matter, you helped keep me alive. I likely wouldn't be here without you, or Nowi or anyone else who was there for me. I owe all of you for that. I promise to be one of the best students I can be, Professor, and… well, I'll try not to get too injured." he said with a chuckle. Manuela joined in his mirth, giving him a smile.

"Getting hurt is a part of life and part of your training. I do hope you avoid being run through with a sword though. If you happen to join the house I teach, you will be welcomed with open arms. I hope to see you again soon." she said, taking her leave. Seteth gave her a brief nod, continuing his tour.

"What did she mean by house?"

"Here at Garreg Mach, there are three houses that students can join. All of them represent a different country in Fodlan. The Black Eagle House is for students that hail from the Empire. The Blue Lion House is for students who are from the Kingdom, finally, the Golden Deer House is for students that come from The Alliance. After our tour, I will have you select one of those three houses." the man explained, earning a nod from the boy.

"Choose huh? Do I have to choose?"

"Well… we could assess your abilities and place you in a house of our choosing. Of course, you hail from a village in Kingdom Territory, so you would likely be sorted into the Blue Lions. This year, it's being led by the Prince of Faerghus, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd." Seteth said, earning a look of curiosity from the boy. "Is that a surprise?"

"No… it's just… as far as I know, the royal family didn't have any heirs. After the Tragedy of Duscur, I was led to believe everyone had perished." Max said firmly, shaking his head. "At least, that's what my father told me."

"It would seem he was misinformed. There was one survivor that day, that being Prince Dimitri. He is to lead his Kingdom the moment he graduates from the Officers Academy. The Blue Lion House has been doing quite well on their exams, perhaps it will be a good place for you."

The two remained silent as they entered another room, this one was filled with a wide array of books. Max was briefly reminded of the archbishop's room. There were various tools, beakers, and objects that he couldn't recognize strewn about the room. He noticed an older man jotting something down on a chalkboard. As if feeling their presence, he quickly turned around, giving the two a smile.

"Well, I see you are finally awake. We were all worried about your wellbeing young man, I'm glad to see you on your feet!" he said cheerfully.

"This is Professor Hanneman, he's a scholar who is studying the various Crests found in Fodlan. His knowledge is extensive, and even now he is making quite a few discoveries. If you ever have any questions concerning Crests, then feel free to ask him."

"Of course. It's nice to have someone to explain that stuff to me. My father didn't tell me much about them actually. The only one in my family that seemed to possess one was my sister."

"I see, I see! Might you know what Crest she bares? I am interested in learning about the Crests of all my students." Professor Hanneman asked curiously.

"Hmm… it was a weird one," he mumbled softly, glancing at the back wall. There were papers that held every Crest in Fodlan perfectly tacked to it. He briefly looked at them, trying to see if he could spot it. "Hers looks like that one. I remember her using dark magic once and her hand glowed brightly with that mark."

"The Crest of Noa? Are you certain? This Crest has been lost to history, I myself have never seen one! Why, if this Crest is one that she bears we may be at the cusp of a new discovery. Is there a way you could contact her? I would love to study it." the man said excitedly. Max rubbed his head, feeling a bit nervous.

"Um… she's in Fhirdihad right now. And I don't think she would want an older man poking and prodding at her," he said.

"Quite right, I must apologize. I get quite excited when it comes to new discoveries. Incidentally, your father seemed to bare a Crest of Ernest, another crest that has fallen to obscurity. If this is the case, then perhaps you have a crest yourself. Sometimes, Crests skip generations, other times, people of mixed blood can produce heirs with different crests. I believe this is what is going on with your lineage. Have you ever felt a surge of energy during training?"

"Not… really?" Max asked. He glanced over to Seteth, who was standing silently. He seemed to be mildly interested in the conversation. Aside from that, he was just waiting for the man to finish with the new student so they could move on.

"Hmm… perhaps your crest is lying dormant within you. Sometimes, those that have Crests awaken them during trying times. It's also possible you were born without one. I would greatly appreciate it if you could supply me with a bit of your blood. I believe that by studying it, I can ascertain the existence of a Crest within you."

"Maybe later Professor, I would love to learn more about Crests and stuff but I don't want to take too much of Seteth's time," Max said, giving an apologetic bow. "I'll return later, then we can discuss anything you'd like."

"Ah! I look forward to that. Perhaps we could chat more during class, should you choose my house of course."

Max gave him a nod, following Seteth out of the office. They walked in silence for a few moments, with the boy sighing with relief the moment he was out of Hanneman's earshot. "He seems like a good person, but I don't really like how open he is about turning me into a test subject."

"That is just part of his charm. He's a scholar who is enamored with his craft, his expertise is valued here at Garreg Mach. I would seek him out in the future, just in case you have a dormant Crest. Come along, the library is next on our tour." Seteth said, picking up the pace.

* * *

Max didn't really like Tomas. He didn't know what it was but something about him made him uncomfortable. He seemed like a good person and was quite knowledgeable about the tomes that were found in the library. He made a promise to himself that he would go do some research in his free time. He also noticed Seteth grabbing a few books from a stack of donations, taking them with him. He had tried to see what kind of books they were, but he had them in such a way that their covers weren't visible. He shrugged it off, deciding to ignore his curiosity.

He cringed a bit as he stepped outside. It felt a bit awkward to be out in the sun again, especially due to the brightness of the light. He fanned his face with his hand, it felt a lot hotter than before. In fact, he noticed the other students were wearing rather light clothing. There were a few children running around, none that he recognized. He also spotted a few others dressed in the same uniform as him, students of the Officers Academy.

"Up ahead is the Knight's Hall. You'll be able to train with the other knights there if you so wish. However, if you wish to spar with other students or learn advanced drills, the Training Grounds is where you may do that. You may also enter the tournaments that are held there monthly for monetary prizes or weaponry."

"Oh, that sounds interesting. I might take you up on that one Seteth, I'd love to spar with someone. I hate to admit it, but I've gone a bit rusty. If that skirmish with those bandits wasn't enough to tell." the boy said, rubbing his neck.

"That is untrue. From what I was told, you held your own quite well against those men, 5 to 2 in fact. Until your friend took a mortal blow that is. I'm sorry for your loss, it must be hitting you quite hard."

"Hmm… I just want to find his little sister and make sure she's alright. Oh right… about my father. Was he-" Max was cut off by Seteth, who raised his arm pointing toward the end of the path.

"Beyond this path lies a cemetery. It is where the Knights of Seiros are laid to rest. All knights are given proper burials when their time comes. Lady Rhea held a service for your father the day after you arrived in Garreg Mach. Former Captain Jeralt has taken it upon himself to memorialize his friend and has also promised to train you personally. Should you wish to speak with him, he is normally found in his office on the second floor, it's across from Hanneman's office."

"T-thank you, Seteth. I'll visit his grave as soon as I can, I would also like to extend my gratitude to Captain Jeralt. My father spoke a lot about him when I was growing up, but he never made mention of him being a knight. He kept that life a secret, until a few days ago that is."

"Has Lady Rhea not informed you?" the green-haired man asked, earning a confused look from the boy. He sighed, shaking his head. "It hasn't been a few days, it's been three months since you arrived here. It is the 15th of the Blue Sea Moon. A perfect time it seems. The monastery is preparing for the Goddess' Rite of Rebirth. As a future Knight of Seiros, it would be prudent for you to attend this ceremony."

"The 15th of the Blue Sea Moon? I was asleep for that long?" the boy exclaimed, a look of disbelief on his face. He sighed, placing a hand over his abdomen, frowning. "I guess with an injury like that, it would make sense for me to be zonked out for that long."

"I'm certain things will be better for you, young Max. Lady Rhea has faith in you, especially due to your heritage. Being a knight is in your blood, you will become a fine knight, of that I am certain. If you would like, we can continue the tour. There is much to see here at Garreg Mach."

Max nodded silently following Seteth along. The first place he was taken too was Dining Hall, as it was nearby. It was quite a spacious room, with long wooden tables that had enough seats for all of the present students. A delectable smell hung in the air, permeating it with an aroma so delectable that it made him want to eat until he couldn't eat anymore. However, as he was pressed for time, he settled with an apple as he didn't want to waste more of Seteth's time.

From the Dining Hall, he was lead out into the Southern Courtyard, which held the Greenhouse, as well as a large watering hole. A few students were trying their hand at fishing and failing. Perhaps he could try his hand at a later time. The Reception Area came next, as Garreg Mach was built like a castle, this area was huge. It was a large spacious room that doubled as a ballroom. Hundreds of students could be seen here, congregating with friends, chatting happily or doing homework. As Seteth continued the tour, Max looked around, trying to see if he could find Nowi or Trula. Of course, he didn't spot any children among the people gathered there. A few students gave him questioning looks, while others just had curiosity written on their faces. He picked up the pace, wanting to get out of the spotlight for a bit. His wish was granted when he entered the Entrance Hall, which lead out into the market.

"This is the Entrance Hall. As you can see, this is the first place visitors get to see of the monastery. From here, you can head to the Dining Hall and the South Courtyard, as well as the Stables. All students are expected to help with the upkeep of this place, especially the stable. Your professor will assign you specific tasks for you to fulfill, so I do hope you like animals."

"Don't worry Seteth, I grew up around animals. Horses are very easy to take care of, my father had that knowledge drilled into me when I was growing up. I wouldn't mind helping out with the upkeep. I've always wanted to ride a pegasus!" he said excitedly. Seteth quirked a brow but said nothing as he walked toward the stables.

"I'll let you explore the market on your own time. You'll find an armory there, as well as a blacksmith. There is a guild there as well that may offer their services to you as well as an item vendor. We also have traveling merchants that set up shop from time to time. I've been told to look out for a red-headed merchant girl, she's well known to swindle people."

"I'll keep my eye out for her," Max said confidently. As the two were about to walk off, cut them off, panting a bit as she did. It seemed as if she had run toward them for whatever reason. She looked up after a moment, giving Seteth a smile.

"Brother, I have finally caught up to you. You are quite a hard person to find when you want to be," she said.

"Is something the matter Flayn?" the man asked, sounding concerned. Max remained silent, not wanting to intrude in their conversation.

This girl, Flayn, looked quite out of place at the monastery. At first, he had thought she was a student, but one look at her attire changed his mind. It was so unlike the female uniforms he had spotted. Especially the bow that was tied around her back. She looked a bit frail as if she were made of glass, but he was certain this girl could pack a punch. Her bright green hair made her stand out quite a bit, as the others he had seen had darker hair colors. While she was adorable, he could also tell she was a rather refined person, perhaps sheltered as well. Her body language told him she seemed to be upset, but without information he wasn't going to find out why.

"I see, so this is the boy that was brought here in critical condition?" the girl asked, shifting her gaze toward him. She stiffened a bit at his gaze. "Heavens, is something the matter? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Huh? Oh, my goddess, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare at you miss, it's just… I… you remind me of my uh… little sister! Yes, you remind me a lot of my little sister."

Seteth glared at the young man, something that sent a shiver down his spine. He quickly looked away, not wanting to anger him. The last thing he needed was an angry older brother who thought a guy he had just met was ogling his little sister.

"I'm so relieved. For a moment there, I thought I had something on my face. It's so good to see you out and about. I still remember the night you were brought in. I made sure to pray for you to return to us."

"O-oh… thanks then miss, I really appreciate it. I couldn't check out yet, I had a duty to uphold, hehe."

"Max, I would like to introduce you to my little sister Flayn. She isn't a student here at Garreg Mach but is free to wander about the grounds. She is a bit young, but I assure you she is quite knowledgeable about the healing arts. Sadly, she was unable to help you that night you came in, and resorted to praying instead."

"It's nice to meet you, Max, I hope we can learn more about each other in the future," she said, holding her hand out. The boy nodded, giving it a firm shake.

"Sure! I'd love to get to know you, if your brother permits it, of course, I can tell he's overprotective. If I'm being honest, I am too. I don't like it when my little sister Maya speaks with strangers." he said. Seteth sighed, shaking his head.

"I only wish for Flayn to be safe. I have no doubts that you are a good person Max, as such, I will allow you to continue speaking with Flayn. I'm certain she can teach you more about Garreg Mach than even I could."

"Oh yes, I can definitely show you all of the special places, my favorite is the watering hole. I simply love to fish. Perhaps you could join me sometime?" she asked, a hopeful look on her face. He gave her a nod. "Excellent! I look forward to the day we can catch the yummiest fish together. I'll be taking my leave now, I can tell you two are quite busy."

"I'll see you later sister, do take care."

"Bye Flayn, it was nice meeting you," Max said, giving her a wave. Flayn shyly waved back, heading towards the Dining Hall. Seteth cleared his throat, glaring at the boy.

"Don't even think about courting my sister, is that understood?"

"Yes," he replied, holding back a chuckle. The two continued toward the Stables.

* * *

After being shown the Stables, as well as meeting Cyril, a squire in the service of Lady Rhea, Seteth guided him toward the Dormitory building. He briefly explained how commoners and those of noble class were segregated and given their own quarters. This year, however, the dorms had been split up by class. Depending on what house he chose, he would be given a dorm with them.

The thought of choosing a house was beginning to nag at him. He had been pondering his options for a while now. Of course, he hadn't met any students or the House leaders yet. Seteth had made sure to stay away from the Officers Academy. Despite it being a Saturday, a known free-day, some of the students did like studying or training, including the House Leaders. The two came to a stop in front of the Training Grounds, which had been the second to last place Seteth had decided to show him.

"Well, that's it. Garreg Mach in its entirety, the last place for you to visit is the cathedral, but I'm certain you can find your way there on your own. It isn't exactly a hard place to find." he said, gesturing to the tall building in the distance.

"Hmm… I'll be sure to pay my respects to the goddess when I visit. My father wasn't much for religion, but he did encourage us to go to Church on Sundays. I simply adore Organ music, I must have spent nearly all my free time trying to fix that dusty old thing." he said, absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair. "Erm, sorry, I was just thinking of home."

"It's quite alright. Now then, there is one final matter that needs to be attended to, choosing your house. Have you thought it over?"

"I have but… well, I can't really make a choice. I haven't met the house leaders or any students, it feels like there's a lot of pressure being put on my shoulders." he admitted, frowning. "It's like you said, I can technically join Blue Lions because I'm from the Kingdom, but I haven't met anyone from Golden Deer of the Black Eagles."

"If that's the case then perhaps meeting the House leaders is in order. We'll start with the Black Eagles, come this way." Seteth said. Max shuddered nervously as he walked, shoving his hands in his pockets. He was growing nervous.

"_The House leaders are heirs of their countries right? That means I'll be meeting the Imperial Princess, the Future King and the future Duke of House Riegan. Okay… stay calm Max, they're just people. It's not like I'm going to be joining their country or anything of the sort, hehe." _he thought to himself. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the Black Eagle classroom. He stiffened a bit as Seteth walked inside. "_Shit shit shit, abort, abort!"_

"Here he is."

"_Holy shit that was quick!" _the boy thought, as Seteth made his return. With him, he brought a stern-looking young woman. Long flowing white hair trailed down her back, she had a firm look affixed on her face. Her eyes bore into his own, making him feel as if she was peering straight into his soul. She wore a red cape over her shoulders, bearing the mark of House Hresvelg, the one who was currently in control of the Empire. He swallowed the lump in his throat, forcing a smile onto his face.

"Hello, Miss, Princess! I mean Princess!" he exclaimed nervously, holding back a laugh. "Um…"

"There's no need to be nervous. I understand I can be an imposing person, but trust me when I say, I am just like all the other students here. It's nice to meet you. My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg, Princess of the Empire. But you may just call me Edelgard. I've heard quite a lot about you Max, and your feats in Roscoe Village."

"I uh… I was just doing my duty. I couldn't sit by and let those bandits kill my friends. All of us fought hard that night, but even then, most of the villagers were killed or mortally injured. I lost many friends that night, including my father. I'm… still not ever it, even now I'm trying not to think about it." he admitted, lowering his gaze slightly. He felt the princess place a hand on his shoulder, giving him a smile.

"You are a hero Max, never forget that. It is true that you lost many that night, but you also saved several children. Those men were kidnapping young girls from the entire continent. Children that people had given up on ever getting back. I find that very commendable, I do hope you consider joining the Black Eagle House. The Adrestian Empire would be honored to have you." she said, giving him a bow. His eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"Oh no, don't bow to me. I should be bowing to you, I am going to be a knight after all," he said. She giggled much to his surprise.

"There's something about you that I can't quite put my finger on. You are… quite the charming young man. I can tell you've lived a very reclusive life, away from big cities. You wouldn't be so intimidated by my presence if you weren't."

"I just never got used to royalty I guess. My father never really talked about that sort of thing, I wish I had known more about him. There are times where I feel he wanted to open up but-" he cut himself off, clearing his throat. "I apologize, Princess Edelgard. You are a lovely woman, and the Black Eagle House sounds like a fun place but… I'm still deciding things."

"There's no pressure. I'm certain you'd like to meet the other House Leaders before making a choice. No matter what that choice may be, I do hope we become friends. I look forward to seeing you, Max. don't be afraid to approach me if you need help with your schoolwork." Edelgard said, giving him a smile. With that, she took off, leaving the boy with much to ponder.

"So… what did you think?" Seteth asked, bringing back down to reality. He shrugged his shoulders, glancing back at where the Princess had been standing.

"She seems nice but… I don't know. She's very intimidating, I feel like I wouldn't be able to do anything with her around. I can't really blame her for that. When you are the heiress of a large empire, you sort of tend to be an unreachable person, if that makes sense."

"Hmm… then perhaps the Black Eagle House is not the one for you. Let us head to the Blue Lion House. Perhaps Prince Dimitri will sway you to his side." the green-haired man said, leading him down a few paces.

They entered the classroom this time. There weren't many students inside, the ones that were there quickly buried their noses in books the moment Seteth walked past. Max looked around with great curiosity, spotting various magical tomes on the shelves. There was also a fireplace at one end of the room, which thankfully wasn't lit. All of the tables were placed in neat rows, each ready for whatever lesson was planned for the day.

There was a tall, blond man at the end of the classroom, standing before what he assumed was the teacher's desk. He had a pensive look on his face as he read some documents. Unlike Edelgard, this man was dressed completely in blue, a rich royal blue. He had fair colored skin and bright colored eyes, his uniform was firmly pressed, a few decorative pins were attached to his breast pocket. He too wore a cape, bright blue in color, bearing the crest of House Blaiddyd, the crest of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. As if feeling their presence, the man looked up from his papers, giving the two a smile.

"Seteth, hello. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Indeed there is. This is Max, the son of one of our former knights, as you know he was brought here in critical condition a few months back. He has made a full recovery and is going to join the Officers Academy. I felt it best to introduce him to the House Leaders so that he could make a choice." he explained, earning a nod from the Prince. He looked at Max, who was standing firm before him. He let out a laugh, shaking his head.

"Relax friend, you don't need to be so stiff."

"S-sorry… I'm just not used to meeting royalty," he admitted, scratching his neck. "I wasn't smiling was I? I don't want a repeat of what happened with Edelgard."

"You gave her an awkward smile eh? It's alright, Edelgard is a rather imposing young woman. She isn't so intimidating when you get to know her though. Ah, my apologies, you don't know my name, do you? I'm Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, it's nice to meet you."

"Likewise, my name is Maximus Decimus Ernest, you can call me Max though," Max said, shaking his hand. Dimitri quirked a brow at the sound of his name.

"Ernest, you say? Are you perhaps a descendant of one of the 10 Heroes?"

"Fraid not, a lot of people asked my father the same thing. My family has no relation to Ernest, aside from the name. It is a bit odd though since my father did have a minor Crest of Ernest. Who knows? Maybe we are his descendants after all." the green-haired boy said with a shrug.

"I was also told you hail from Roscoe Village, which happens to be on the outskirts of Charon Territory. If I had known those Bandits were in that area, I would have sent some knights there myself. I must apologize, it was my own carelessness that has brought you grief."

Max's jaw dropped as the man dropped to his knee in a full bow. This was even worse than with Edelgard. It felt so awkward. There was nothing he could say, he knew the man was being polite, and begging for his forgiveness, but there was nothing to forgive. He joined the man on the ground, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen, it wasn't your fault alright. No one could have predicted what happened that night. So don't blame yourself, and please… don't do that. It's hard interacting with royalty, I can't have you all bowing to me. It should be me bowing to you, I'm here to be a knight after all." he said, sounding rather embarrassed. Dimitri cleared his throat, flushing a bit.

"You are correct, forgive my forwardness. I just… don't know what else to say. We have already sent aid to Roscoe Village, and the leader of House Charon will be personally escorting the survivors to shelters being raised in Fhirdiad. We are also trying to locate the parents of the kidnapped children, but alas many have disappeared in the last few weeks."

"We are doing all we can as well, for now, the children will remain here in the monastery. It is the best place for them all. They'll be cared for and given a place to stay while we contact the parents. Thankfully, many of them have been picked up, but those that were taken from the Alliance and the Empire are in a bad way." Seteth said, reminding the two men that they weren't alone. They quickly stood up, acting as if nothing had happened.

"A-anyway, I'm glad to have met you, Prince Dimitri. For the longest time, I was lead to believe the Kingdom didn't have any heirs. My father was quite taken with the Tragedy of Duscur. It hit him very hard, and now that I know the truth of who he is, I can understand why."

"Marshall Ernest was a knight in the service of my grandfather, wasn't he? This was back when my own father was still a young boy. I wasn't expecting to hear the news that I did. Your mother visited the Palace a lot when I was younger, but I'm surprised to hear that she didn't speak much of us." Dimitri said sadly.

"S-sorry… I guess my father really did want to keep his knighthood a secret. I'm not sure why I've always been fascinated with knights. For the longest time, I've wanted nothing more than to come here and join the Knights of Seiros. I believe that helping people in need is the responsibility of every knight. They travel all over the place, lending their swords to anyone who needs it. I've heard so many stories of famous knights in the past, but my favorite was definitely the one about Sir Maximus."

"Yes, the first Knight of Seiros. He was there during the battle of Liberation, the one that sought the end of Nemesis. While he wasn't recognized as a hero in that battle, Saint Seiros did personally knight him. There are some texts that indicate the two lead a happy life, there are others that claim Sir Maximus died in battle not long after that fateful battle. Some even claim that he outlived the heroes and that his spirit still fights to this day." Seteth said, earning a starry-eyed look from the man.

"Wow… it seems like there's a lot left for me to learn about him."

"Indeed, you bear the name of a good man Max. Maybe you'll become a great knight like him, if that's the case then I would love it if you joined the Blue Lion House. It would be an honor to train beside the son of a former Holy Knight, the son of a former friend." Dimitri said, earning a nod from the boy.

"I'll think about it, it's a tough choice. Edelgard has extended her invitation as well… I am technically of the Kingdom, but I have yet to meet the leader of the Golden Deer House. I dunno… this is such a daunting task."

"You shouldn't feel too pressured, just follow your heart, it'll never lead you astray. My apologies, there is some business I need to attend to. It was a pleasure meeting you Max, I hope you find everything you are looking for here in Garreg Mach." he said taking his leave. Seteth glanced at his pocket watch, frowning.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you. There is much I need to attend to today, and I don't have much time to do it. Do you think you can handle meeting Claude on your own?"

"Huh? Oh right… sure, I can handle it. But um… who do I look for if I want to tell them my choice?" Max asked curiously.

"Seek out Lady Rhea when you are done, she shall take care of everything. It was great getting to know you, Max. If you need help in the future, you know where to find me."

Max watch Seteth leave, frowning. He was all alone now. All alone with his thoughts. The other students that had been in the Blue Lion Classroom had also taken their leave. He didn't exactly know what time it was, but he was sure they all had other things to do. He sighed, walking toward the exit.

"_May as well get this over with. Edelgard was very intimidating, I felt like she was looking right into my soul with her eyes. Dimitri was the complete opposite of her. He seemed much more charming and open than her. But he still looked stiff, like he wasn't sure of what to do. Him kneeling was definitely unexpected. It makes me wonder what this Claude is like, I hope it's not like the other two." _

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he was greeted by an empty classroom. The Golden Deer Homeroom was completely empty. He took a brief look around, hoping it was the right place. Then again, if the giant flag bearing a golden deer wasn't the tell-all, he didn't know what was. He wasn't as nervous as he was before at least, now he was just curious. He didn't know where the leader of this house was, meaning he would have to ask around. At least he knew where he was going rather than walking around aimlessly. Max left the classroom, setting out for his search.

* * *

"_Ugh… where the heck is this guy?" _Max cried inwardly. It felt like he had searched all of Garreg Mach for this person. The few students he had talked to had mentioned various areas that Claude was apparently fond of. He had checked them all but he had found nothing.

He, of course, was lead to the last place he hadn't checked out, the Church. So he went straight there, hoping by some miracle of the goddess that Claude was there. The cathedral was a rather imposing building, far larger than any other in Garreg Mach. the moment you stepped onto the bridge leading up to it, the sound of the Organ could be heard. The choir could also be heard, their angelic voices melded perfectly with the scenery. Whoever had chosen this place to build a monastery did an excellent job. Everything just felt serene, perfect. Like nothing could ruin it.

Of course, when he stepped into the cathedral, he spotted everyone other than Claude. He was at least given a general description of the man. Tall, tan-colored skin, dark brown windswept hair, yellow cape, and a charming personality. He had yet to meet anyone with those characteristics. But now that he was in the church he could at least pray to the goddess. And he did. He prayed for his father to be accepted into the Goddess' embrace, and he prayed for Gregory and everyone else that lost their lives in that battle. It was a bittersweet feeling. He had gotten to the verge of tears before deciding to stop. The last thing he needed was to start crying in public. He didn't need that on his resume. Deciding it was time to leave, he turned around, only for someone to tackle him into a hug. He stumbled back and thankfully didn't fall.

"Ah… what the?"

"There you are!" a familiar voice said. He looked down, noticing a familiar head of green hair. He smiled, hugging the girl back.

"Hey Nowi, I was so worried about you! You have no idea!" he said, as she quickly returned the hug.

"Me too! I was so worried. When I saw you on the ground, slowly bleeding to death I thought that was it. I've lost a lot of friends like that in the past, and I didn't know what to do. Those bandits took my stone from me, so I couldn't use my magic. Whatever the case may be, I'm so glad you are alright!" she said happily.

"Come on, we wouldn't want to disturb the church-goers." the boy said, leading Nowi out of the church, once outside he turned to face her, taking in her full appearance. He furrowed his brows slightly, tilting his head in confusion. Nowi noticed his gaze and looked herself over, a small grin appearing on her face.

"You're curious about my outfit, aren't you?"

"Uh… I am. I wasn't aware little girls were allowed to walk around like that." he admitted. She puffed her cheeks out, giving him a glare.

"I am _not _a little girl. I happen to be much older than you, probably older than everyone in this entire monastery." she snapped angrily. She crossed her arms, cape fluttering in the wind. "Why, that mean old Seteth told me I was an indecent little girl. I put him in his place for saying I was 9."

"Pardon me for asking but… how old are you then? You look like a ten-year-old to me." Max said, still quite confused. She sighed. She beckoned him to come close, making him bend down to her height.

"I'm actually 1,995 years old," she said softly. The boy looked her right in the eye and started laughing.

"That's a good one, no seriously. How old are you?"

"I'm telling the truth. Lady Rhea told me not to share this information with anyone. Apparently, my life could be in danger in this world, which I don't really understand. I'm actually a manakete, I'm basically a dragon." she replied. The boy pursed his lips for a moment, still not believing the young lady.

"Sorry Nowi, I'm having a hard time believing you. Anyway, where are your parents? Haven't they come looking for you yet?" he asked. She frowned, shaking her head.

"I don't have parents. They passed away a long time ago. My only friends, the ones that I love so much are also gone. I… have a lot of things to tell you. I was so worried that you were going to die. Come on, let's go to a place that's a little quieter." she said. He nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"May as well, since I can't find this Claude guy. I'm kind of tired of looking around the monastery."

It didn't take them long to leave the monastery. In fact, there was a stairwell that lead down into the forest below. There was a sign forbidding people from going to the Northern Forest, but they didn't see anyone guarding the path that lead in that direction. They weren't far from the monastery however, just far enough for people not to interrupt their conversation. As they walked, Max noticed Nowi was clutching something in her hand, a glimmering blue stone. It shone like a million sapphires. It was honestly hard to keep his eyes off of it. She seemed to notice this and held the stone out to him, much to his surprise.

"You want to hold it?"

"Oh um… sure. But isn't this important to you?" he asked curiously. She nodded, placing it in his hand.

"It is, but I trust you. You saved my life after all. This is the stone those Bandits took from me. It's a very special stone that contains half of my soul. It keeps me bound in human form. Were it to be destroyed, all of my power would come back in one fell swoop. Even worse, I could start losing my mind, becoming insane. The thought of that still scares me, even though I'm nearly 2,000 years old."

"This again? Why do you keep insisting that you are two thousand? I find it hard to believe that someone like you is really that old!" the boy exclaimed firmly. She rolled her eyes, giggling.

"That's because I'm not exactly from this world. I searched the library for a few weeks, hoping to find some books but I didn't find a single thing. Apparently, there aren't any manaketes in this place, which is weird. We may be a dwindling race but there are still a lot of us out there."

"Okay… what's a manakete then? Because this is a foreign term to me." Max said.

"It's just a fancy term we came up with. Essentially, all of us manakete are dragons bound in human form. With the help of a dragonstone, that glittering rock you are holding, we can turn into our dragon form. Of course, we can also partially transform to limit the consumption of power. Do you wanna see?" she asked, sounding excited. He rolled his eyes, deciding to take her word for it.

"Sure, show me your oh so scary dragon form," he said, handing her the dragonstone. She giggled, holding it up high.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" she happily cried, giving him a wink. The dragonstone began shimmering brightly, the light snaked down her entire body, covering her in a crystalline cocoon. She let out a small cry as she morphed into a dragon, the cocoon erupted, the energy pushing Max off his feet. He let out a surprised scream when he saw the hulking beast of a dragon before him. "Rawr!"

"AAAHHH! What the hell, you really are a dragon?!"

"I told you!" she cried, voice sounding heavily distorted. Her body glowed bright green as she returned to her human form, placing her dragonstone in a small pouch at her hip. "So, do you believe me now?"

"I… I… huh?"

"Oh boy, this is going to take me a while."

* * *

"Okay, so let me get this straight. You are a dragon from another world, born 2,000 years ago in their time. You were briefly taught by your parents about the culture but ended being separated from them. After that, you wondered alone trying to find them, but eventually gave up hope. This lead you to travel to another country, named Plegia, because of the Grimleal, who were trying to resurrect an evil dragon to destroy the world?"

"Yep."

"Okay… and in this place, you were kidnapped by slavers and were to be used as a sacrifice for Grima. The fell dragon of your world. You were saved by the Shepherds, a militia formed by the descendant of a legendary hero in that world. You ended up joining them, and fighting against Plegia, killing their king and then taking a break. Two years later, you fought against the invading Valmese Army, lead by a man named Walhart, you ended up defeating him only to realize it was all a ploy by the Fell Dragon whom you also killed?"

"Yep."

"Finally, after the war ended you left your friends. However, you realized just how much they meant to you so you searched for them. You meet up with them and lived happy lives until they had to pass on. Eventually, you found yourself taking care of their children and their children's children. However, you heard a voice in your head asking you for help, that there was a calamity that needed to be stopped. You agreed, and a portal opened beneath your feet. You landed here in Fodlan where you were captured by those Bandits. That's it… all of it?"

"Yep, that's it. My entire story." Nowi said, earning a nod from the boy. He leaned back in his bench, looking up at the sky.

"You know it sounds like total bullshit right?"

"Oh, I know, however, once I show people my dragon form they all start believing me. I was about to go all dragon on those Bandits too! But they conked me before I could. One of them briefly mentioned selling my stone to them, apparently, I was a highly valued item because of the Crest I bore, whatever that is. I was stuck in that cage for weeks before you let me out." she admitted, a frown appearing on her face. "I'm sorry Max, really I am. I wish I could have been more helpful, but without my dragonstone, I can't really do anything. All of the healing magic Maribelle taught me went to waste. I couldn't even stop you from bleeding out."

"Hey… it's alright. I'm okay, Lady Rhea saved my life, it's why my hair is green you know." he said, gesturing to his hair. She looked up at him, eyeing his green locks.

"I was going to ask about that. It's unheard of, a blood transfusion changing your hair color that is. However, the procedures that were done to you were life-altering. They did have to use a lot of powerful magic, just to keep out alive. I visited you a few times, and the times that I did were awful. Seeing you on that bed, fighting for your life I… you reminded me a lot of my friend Lissa, she was injured like that once and barely made it out alive."

"I'm sure it must have been scary, sorry to put you through that kiddo. Things will get better though, I'm sure you'll find your way home soon," he said, giving her a smile. He turned back toward the sky, sighing. "Things are looking up but… even now I'm still nervous. I'm so numb to it all you know? I was asleep for a long time. I missed my father's funeral, same with my friend Greg."

"I know how you feel, I've lost so many people myself. Maybe we could put flowers on their graves?" she asked curiously. He gave her a nod.

"Yes, that would be for the best. But sadly I'll have to do that later, right now I need to find some guy named Claude. He's one of the house leaders here, I've searched this entire place from top to bottom and I still haven't found him. It makes me wonder what he's truly like."

"Oh, you were looking for Claude? Why didn't you say so! I saw him heading to the library. He mentioned something about a book. Some sort of book on Saint Seiros." Nowi said. Max gave her a curious look.

"You know Claude?"

"Sure do! He's so nice too, he invited me to join Golden Deer as soon as I was able to. He's greatly intrigued by the voice that brought me here. He also wants to see if there are other manakete in this world. Only a select few know about my abilities as a dragon. Lady Rhea said that it would be too dangerous to advertise myself to the world."

"She's not wrong. I'm sure people would love to poke and prod you if they had the chance. It's a good thing those bandits thought you were a regular little girl. I would hate to know what would have happened to you if you had transformed." the green-haired boy said, standing up from the bench. He stretched his arms above his head, popping his joints. "Anyway, I think I should go find Claude. He's the last person I gotta meet today."

"I'll go with you. It's almost dinner time and we always eat together as a class, everyone in Golden Deer is really nice. No one treats me like a child there… well except Claude. He always treats me like a kid, but it's okay because he gives me cookies!" she said cheerfully. He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. Nowi continued talking, going on and on about her favorite sweets.

Thankfully, the duo didn't have to search for long. Just as they entered the Officers Academy, heading toward the library, they spotted the one they were searching for. Claude von Riegan, a tall young man bearing a grin on his face. He was speaking with someone else, a pink-haired girl who seemed to be excited about something. The boy became nervous again, as he laid eyes on both of them. His gaze, of course, shifted toward the girl in Claude's company.

"_Oh wow… she's really pretty." _he thought, holding back his urge to smile. He was quick to look away, trying not to blush. Her long pink hair was flowing in the breeze, shimmering in the sun. Her skin was glowing, and her laugh was adorable. Edelgard may have been pretty, but this girl was downright gorgeous. Nowi stopped speaking the moment she realized who her friend was staring at. She smirked, jabbing him in the ribs.

"So… what'cha looking at?"

"Huh? I'm not looking anything."

"Suuure you aren't," she said, winking. She didn't waste a beat, shortening the distance between herself and Claude. "Heya Claude! It's about time we found you!"

"Hiya Squirt!" the man cheerfully greeted. "It's good to see ya! Did you do all of your schoolwork?"

"Of course I did! I finished my report on the history of Fodlan right before lunch! I gave it to Lysithea so she could proofread it. Where have you been? My friend has been searching all over for you!"

"Oh you know, here and there. I couldn't find the book I was looking for in the library, so I decided to laze about. I took the time to skulk through Seteth's office, seeing as he was out it all day." the man replied, grinning. "So, which friend wanted to see me? You've made quite a few these past couple of weeks."

"Is it that guy over there? The one who's staring at the ground?" the pinkette asked curiously. "I don't think I've seen him around here before. Is he a new student?"

"He's the guy I tried to save, the one that was brought here almost dead," Nowi said happily.

"You mean the Hero of Roscoe? The one that was literally dead when he came here?" Claude asked curiously. "I would like to meet him."

"Whelp, feel free to! He's been wanting to meet you too, he actually looked all over for you. Max, can you come here?" the manakete asked, grabbing his attention. The boy took a deep breath, steeling his nerves as he approached the trio. He stood up straight, meeting eyes with the house leader of Golden Deer.

"Hello."

"This is Max, he's the boy who saved me and the others from those meanie bandits!"

"Didn't you say his hair was white?" the girl asked, looking confused. "His hair is green, and so are his eyes. He reminds me of Lady Rhea actually."

"It's a side effect from the magic they used to save me, apparently," Max replied, giving her a smile. "It's nice to meet you two. My name is Maximus Decimus Ernest, but you can just call me Max. You are a hard man to find, Claude."

"Really? I'm actually easy to find when I want to be," he said with a chuckle. "It's great to meet you as well Max. I'm sure you've already heard, but I'm the leader of the Golden Deer House."

"Yes, Seteth explained who you were. I'm actually in the process of choosing a house since I'm going to become a student here. I met Edelgard and Dimitri earlier but they're… imposing, if you will."

"Imposing?" the pinkette asked, causing Max to nod. "Oh… I see. Edelgard did that thing where she stares into your soul didn't she?"

"Y-yeah," he mumbled, rubbing his neck. "It felt like she was reading my mind. Then there was Demitri, he was really kind but… well, he knelt before me, apologizing for what happened in Roscoe Village as if it had been his fault. He just… seems a bit socially inept."

"He's an interesting one, I'll give you that." the heir of house Riegan said. He shrugged, giving the young man a smile. "So, is it true that you are here to become a knight?"

"Mhmm… that's right. I'm following in my father's footsteps. I wanted to be a Knight of Seiros since I was young and, here I am. Sure, it was through a series of unfortunate events but, I like counting my blessings." Max replied. He glanced at the pinkette who was chatting with Nowi about something. He held back a blush, stammering a bit. "I don't think I caught your name miss,"

"Who me? You can just call me Hilda. If you are searching for a house to join, why not join the Golden Deer? I think it'll be a good place for you!" she said cheerfully. Nowi narrowed her eyes.

"Ahuh sure… are you sure you don't want Max around so he can take care of your chores?"

"What? No! That isn't it at all… I uh… want to get to know him! I mean, it isn't every day that you meet someone like him. So heroic and strong, with such awesome convictions!" she said cheerfully, making the boy blush. Claude, of course, wasn't buying it, but he wasn't going to spoil her fun.

"She's got a point there. You are quite an interesting young man, I would be honored if you joined my house. Course, I'm not about to pressure you or anything. We of the Golden Deer want nothing more than for newcomers to feel welcome and relaxed. Not to mention Nowi is part of our house too, I think it would be best for you to stick with your friend. But that's just me," Claude said, giving him a grin.

"You do have a point there. I've been thinking a lot about which house I would join. The Black Eagles seem so daunting. Edelgard seems like a nice person but if I'm being honest, she kind of scares me. I don't think I really fit well there. I can technically fit into the Blue Lions, but something about Dimitri is a bit… off."

"What about Claude? What do you think of him?" Hilda asked curiously. The man chuckled, interlocking his hands behind his head.

"Yeah, what do you think of me?"

"You seem sneaky," Max replied offhandedly. "Nowi told me about you, how you like scheming and using underhanded tactics to win battles. I gotta say, you interest me a lot. She seems comfortable around you too. Even then, I'm still not entirely sure."

"He's not wrong," Hilda said, earning a glare from her house leader. "What? Don't give me that look, he hit the nail right on the head."

"I know he did. I don't consider my schemes 'underhanded tactics' though. They're more… unorthodox than anything. But if you are still unsure, perhaps chatting with our professor will change your mind. You've met Hanneman and Manuela already, right? The professors from the Black Eagle and Blue Lion houses?" Claude asked, earning a nod from Max.

"I have. Manuela seems nice, but Hanneman… well, he wants to stab me with a needle and I don't know how to feel about that. I haven't met the professor that teaches your house, what's he like?"

"_She _is a bit like you actually. Her father was a former Knight of Seiros, the captain of the knights in fact. Well… he's technically the captain again… it's hard to understand. It would be better if you met her." Hilda said, stretching her arms. "Ah… I would go with you, but I've got some things to do. It was nice meeting you, I really hope you choose the Golden Deer. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun in our house."

"Bye Hilda, see ya later! Try not to take advantage of any cute boys okay?" Nowi cried, earning a wink from the girl, who giggled as she walked off. Max watched her go, a small smile on his face. Claude noticed this and rolled his eyes. He clapped the boy's shoulder, startling him a bit.

"Well, how about I take ya to meet Teach? I'm sure she'll persuade you to join us."

"Sure, I don't think it would be fair to make a choice without at least meeting your professor. I think this will help me make a choice," he said. Claude grinned, taking a few steps forward.

"Well, she's normally taking care of paperwork in her office. Follow me and I'll lead you to her, you can come with us if you want Nowi."

"Nah, I think it would be best for you two to bond or something. I have to find Trula and make sure she's fine. It was nice seeing you fully awake Max! I hope we become great friends in the future!" the manakete said happily. Max nodded, giving her a pat on the head.

"Of course we'll be great friends! If anything, I'll make sure to protect you okay. I'm not letting any disgusting bandits lay their hands on you ever again. I would fail as a knight!" he said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Sure! Just as long as I can protect you too! I can't have you dying on me you know. Go on, meet the professor. I'll see you at dinner!" she cried, taking off with a sprint.

"She's a wild spirit, that one. Still can't believe she's really a-" Claude cut himself, turning to face Max. "Well come on, let's find Teach. She likes to hide sometimes but I'm certain we'll find her."

* * *

"So you have aspirations of being a knight?" Claude asked as the two walked to the professor's office. Max wasn't told her name, so he only had a vague image in his mind. He gave the man a nod, keeping his gaze forward.

"For a long time. I guess it all started when I was little. My mother read me the story of Sir Maximus, the tale of how a simple boy ended up becoming a hero. I guess I was just taken with it, you know? Seeing how someone insignificant like him became one of the leaders of the resistance against Nemesis. How Seiros chose him to be her knight and her protector, and how he continued instilling those values into the rest of the knights. I always wondered what it would be like to be like him. To help those in need, to protect the ones that need protecting, to be the sword and shield of the people who can't fight. It's all so alluring!"

Claude chuckled, shaking his head. It had been the first time he had heard someone being so passionate over something so simple. He had been expecting some sort of righteous dream from the boy. But instead, he just got this. He was a kid who wanted to protect others, that was commendable, he thought. He gave the young boy a clap on the shoulder, smiling.

"Well kid, I believe you have what it takes to become a strong knight. I can see it in you, I haven't exactly seen you fight. But if you could fight off all of those bandits, sneak up on the last remaining few and take them all out, then you definitely have what it takes to be a knight."

"What about you? What do you want to do in life?" Max asked curiously. Claude shrugged, placing his hands behind his head.

"Whelp, I'm sure you know who I am, but if you don't I'll explain. I'm the legitimate heir of House Riegan of the Alliance. My house is the leading house, meaning we have the final say in everything. My grandfather, the Duke, is getting old, and my father isn't around much, so naturally, the responsibility falls to me. So I came here to learn politics, battle, all that jazz."

"Oh I see, so before this, no one knew about you?" the knight asked.

"That's right. I was just a regular old kid until I was recognized. I'm not like other stuffy nobles, I wasn't raised in the nobility so I don't act like them. People like Edelgard and Dimitri are so… stuffy. I like to be a free spirit, as long as the people are safe, it doesn't matter how I act. I do have one person hanging off of my back though, someone who wants me to be nobler than I let on." he said with a sigh. "Still, I think I'm doing pretty alright for myself."

"Must be rough huh? Having the weight of an entire nation on your shoulders. If I was in your shoes, I would be extremely nervous. Yet here you are, acting like a normal person. You impress me, Claude. I don't know why, but your demeanor… It makes me feel a lot more relaxed about being here." the young boy admitted, a slight flush on his cheeks. The future Duke chuckled lightly.

"Well, that's the first time I've ever been complimented like that. It makes me feel warm and bubbly on the inside. You know kid, I think you and I will be great friends. I don't want to pressure you into making a choice or anything, but I think you'd make a fine addition to the Golden Deer House. Anyway, here we are, Teach should be inside. Her name is Byleth if you must know. Just talk to her, I'm sure you'll make your choice right after." he said, having arrived at the office. Max nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat.

This office was a lot less stuffier than the previous two he had seen. In fact, it was mostly empty. There were several bookshelves filled to the brim with books, as well as a few suits of armor on display. The office looked quite comfortable, with chairs and couches for people to sit. At the very back, was a solid oak desk, filled with papers, quills, inkwells, and pencils. Behind it sat a young woman, who was pouring through various papers.

He froze in place the moment she looked up. Her eyes bore into his own, but unlike Edelgard, he didn't feel as nervous. She didn't say anything for a moment, eyes narrowed as she tried to identify him. He did the same, taking in her facial features. He didn't know why, but this woman seemed familiar to him. She couldn't have been much older than he was. He felt as if he had met her before. The jacket she was wearing over her shoulders was definitely familiar, especially the markings. He just didn't know where he had seen it. A few moments of silence passed before he finally decided to move. He gave the woman a shy wave, trying not to stutter.

"Um… you're the professor for the Golden Deer House, correct?" he asked. He felt rather stupid after the fact, he knew who she was, Claude had told him her name, yet here he was asking the obvious. She gave him a nod. "I uh… I'm a new student here, I already met the professors for the other houses, as well as the house leaders and… well, I just wanted to meet you."

"You don't have to be so nervous." the woman said. Her voice was soft and smooth, but also kind and sincere. Though she didn't express much emotion, this aura of calmness managed to calm him down a bit. "I believe I know who you are, you are the boy who was brought here a few months ago, from Roscoe Village, correct?"

"Y-yes," he said softly. The professor remained silent for a moment, before finally rising to her feet. She walked around the desk, standing before the boy. He felt a bit embarrassed, especially since she was a bit shorter than he was. He gave her a once over, taking her outfit in, pausing for a moment at her leggings. His brows furrowed in confusion. "Those are some nice leggings."

"Thank you, they're part of my rebellious phase. Don't think it's working out for me," she said sarcastically, making the boy snort. "You look rather familiar to me, have we met before?"

"I don't think so," Max said, regaining his composure. "You look rather familiar to me as well, have you ever been to Roscoe Village?"

"Hmm… I do recall one moment when I was younger. My father was passing through, and he apparently met up with an old friend who-" she paused, a frown appearing on her face. "I believe this was your father. He was named Marshall was he not?"

"Y-yes, he was."

"I see… my father is named Jeralt, perhaps you know him?" the professor asked.

"Not a lot. My father only talked about him briefly and… wait… if your father is Captain Jeralt then you're-" Max cut himself off, shaking his head. "_I probably shouldn't say anything, the last thing I want is to cause a stir. Jeralt left the monastery for a reason, something I'm sure he wants to hide." _

"I'm?" she asked, looking rather confused. Max cleared his throat, briefly looking away.

"A mercenary," he said, picking the first word that game to mind. He wasn't wrong, the woman did look like a merc. Now that he thought about it, she looked a lot like a girl he had met not long ago, 3 years or so in the past. "You're part of that band of mercs that helped us out a long time ago. That's where I know you from."

"So it seems we have met in the past, though only briefly. I don't think I shared my name with you, I'm Byleth, though now that I work here, I'm known as Professor Byleth. It's nice to meet you Max." she said, holding her hand out. The boy shook it, giving her a smile.

"It's nice to meet you too Professor, though I should say, it's nice to see you again. I never would have thought Lady Rhea would hire a merc to teach here."

"I'm a special case, I helped the house leaders out of some trouble. It's how I ended up here and how I chose the Golden Deer House. I was told by Lady Rhea that you were being guided around the monastery. I do not wish to influence your choice, however, I do see potential in you. You are trained in the sword correct?"

"Just the basics. My father taught me the way he was taught when he was a knight. However, he said if I wanted to get into the advanced training, I would have to come here. He was getting old, I think that's why he didn't want to teach me." he admitted, sighing. "There's a lot about that man that I wish I had known."

"I'm sorry for your loss, I don't want to imagine a life without my own father. He's taught me everything I know. It's knowledge that I hope to impart to all of my students. The world is a dark place, you all need to be ready. I do hope you join the Golden Deer House, I wish to get to know you. As a professor and as a friend." she said, giving him a reassuring smile.

"I... " he paused for a moment, giving her a grin. "Me too, I would love to get to know you more, Professor. I think I've finally made my choice, I just need to run it by Lady Rhea first."

"If that's the case, then I shall accompany you. I have something I need to discuss with her as well. Come along, they're serving chili in the mess hall for dinner and I don't want to miss that." she said, earning a chuckle from the young man.

* * *

"Good afternoon Max, am I to assume you've had a productive day?" Rhea asked, earning a nod from the boy. He and Professor Byleth had gone into her office a few moments ago, though she had been occupied attending to one of the Monks. She had given the two a smile the moment she had noticed them. It was a kind, almost motherly smile, making the young knight-to-be relax. His father had been right, her smile alone was enough to make him forget his worries.

"Lady Rhea, I met all of the professors and the house leaders. Seteth showed me around the monastery, and well… I've made my choice. I wish to join the Golden Deer House. Out of all three house leaders, I feel the most comfortable around Claude. Not to mention me and Professor Byleth have actually met before."

"Is that so?"

"A few years ago, my father and I were passing through Roscoe Village on a mission. We ended up meeting with one of his old friends, that was Max's father. I don't remember most of it since it was only a brief meeting. I wish to train Max and ensure that his skill with a blade continues to grow. So, I'm approving his request and allowing him to join my class." Byleth said firmly.

Rhea remained silent for a few moments, pondering what her young professor had said. Max nervously chewed on his bottom lip, fidgeting in place. It was clear that he was nervous, but a single look from the archbishop seemed to calm him down. She moved toward her desk, grabbing a hold of a file, which she held out to Byleth.

"This is Max's registry, you'll need it if you wish to make him one of your students. I would also advise you to inform him of your House's mission this month, as it is quite an important one. Once that document is signed, everything will be official. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Golden Deer House, Max." she said happily. The boy let out the breath he had been holding, sighing in relief. He ended up hugging the woman, much to her and Byleth's surprise.

"T-thank you, Lady Rhea! Not just for allowing me to stay at the Garreg Mach but for allowing me to join the Officers Academy. I promise to take my training seriously, I'll be sure to become a strong knight. I want to make sure my father's legacy continues through me." he said. Rhea looked a bit uncomfortable but quickly relaxed, hugging the young man back.

"Um… is he allowed to do that?" Byleth asked, earning a laugh from the archbishop. Max quickly let go of the woman, a flush on his face.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do anything. I need to go to the Church and beg for forgiveness, I didn't mean to commit such a grave sin."

"It's quite alright Max. It isn't a sin to express one's joy. Run along now, you have much to discuss with your new student. Be sure to get him up to speed with how things work at the Officers Academy, I expect great things from you, Max. I'm sure you'll make your father very proud." Rhea said, earning a nod from the boy.

"Of course! I'll do you and my dad proud!" he said happily. Byleth politely excused herself, pulling her new student along. She would certainly have a great time introducing her new student to the rest of her class. Once the two had left, Seteth entered the office, giving Rhea a firm look.

"There's something about that boy that has caught your attention, hasn't it? And it doesn't have to do with him being the son of a former knight."

"Have you caught onto me so easily?" the archbishop asked, frowning. "I can tell he's lived a very sheltered life. I wish to understand why Marshall never spoke to him about us. I… did quite a lot of questionable things when he was around. He was my most loyal knight, second in command of the Knights of Seiros and yet, just as Jeralt disappeared, he left as well."

"I can only surmise it's due to his marriage. It is quite sad that we have lost such an outstanding comrade, at least a little piece of him has returned to you. However, people are going to notice your actions eventually. Not only have you given a lot of freedom to the new Professor, appointing her without prior knowledge or teaching degrees, but now you have brought this boy into the academy. You have shared with him your own blood. People will begin questioning your motives." Seteth said firmly, earning a sigh from the woman.

"I understand what you are getting at. People will always question the ulterior motives of others. However, I will stick to what I know. I gave that young man my blood because I wished for him to live. I didn't see the use of someone so young losing their life in battle so early. He is a hero through and through. I wish nothing more than for him to become a strong knight like his father."

"If that's the case, then I will stop questioning you about him. I will keep an eye on him of course, to make sure that he is keeping with his training. We must continue preparing for the ritual at the end of the month. I come to you with a list of necessary items." the man said, earning a nod from the archbishop.

* * *

The moon was shining brightly over Garreg Mach, giving the place a rather calming glow. For the most part, all of the students were asleep. Save for the few that like to move about the academy at night. It had been a long hectic day for Max, having woken up, given a tour and meeting the House Leaders of each House. It had been quite stressful for the young man, who was literally thrust into a new life without expecting it. There had been so many changes, so many new things, so many experiences that he had gotten very overwhelmed.

He hadn't had the time to do what he wanted to do since waking up. Visit the graves of his best friend and his father. He had found their plot rather easily in the extensive cemetery, they were the ones who still had fresh dirt over them, despite the grass already starting to grow back. Several others from Roscoe Village had been buried here, along with some unfortunate child victims. The biggest grave on the site was his father's, due to him previously being a knight. The tombstone had been made of solid granite and decorated with ornate etchings carved into the stone with magic. A metal plate had been mounted on the front, along with a photograph of Marshall in his youth, among the first he had seen. Below it, was the Crest of Seiros, the mark associated with the church.

He knelt down before the grave, uttering a small prayer before placing a bouquet of flowers on his and Gregory's graves. He remained silent for a moment, before standing back up.

"Hey dad, sorry for not visiting. I uh… couldn't, being in a coma and all, hehe." he mumbled, clearing his throat. "I'm sorry dad… I wasn't there with you. I should have been there, I could have helped you out. I could have stopped your killer from ending your life."

He paused for a moment, looking up at the sky. He focused on the pale moon above him, a small smile on his face.

"Then again… I wouldn't have been able to save those girls, save Nowi. I wouldn't have been able to find Trula either, and Gregory would have been killed alone. I wasn't strong enough to save him… I wasn't strong enough to stop those Bandits. But at least I made it here to Garreg Mach. I got a new lease on life, and I don't intend on wasting it." he said, looking back down at the grave. It read "Here Lies Sir Marshall Ernest, Former Vice-Captain of the Knights of Seiros, loving father, courageous warrior." His lip quivered slightly as he held back his sobs. He stood up straight, making sure his shoulders were squared, just like he had taught him.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to know you, dad, I should have opened that box sooner. I should have asked you where you learned how to fight. It was my mistake, I didn't get to know the former Knight of Seiros that you ceased to be. But I will at least carry your legacy. I'll learn how to fight, so I can protect those that need protecting, I'll be their sword and their shield." he paused, turning to face Gregory's grave. He placed the second bouquet he had brought down on the ground. "Gregory, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to help you out. That brute was too much for you, I realize that. The bastard ended up killing me too, but I was brought back. I promise to never let myself die at the hands of people like that again. I'll protect the weak, just like you told me to. I'll make sure your sister is safe."

He took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto his face, despite the fact he was sad, he knew he had to smile. It would hurt him at first, but he would be just fine. He spared one last look at his father's grave, placing a hand on the smooth granite tombstone.

"I'll keep mother and Maya safe father, I promise. I need to go now… it's going to be a fresh start in the morning. My new life will truly begin. I'll make you proud."

With that, Max turned out of the cemetery, heading back toward his assigned dorm. It would take him a long time and a lot of work, but he would make sure to become a great knight just like his father. He would become a great knight, just like Sir Maximus was in the past.

* * *

_**xxx(End of Chapter 2)xxx**_

**A/N: Well here's chapter 2. I've been very excited to post this one and since I just finished writing chapter 3, I figured I could post this one. As a little Halloween Treat. I've gotten some good support from the ones who have been reading this, and that drives me to make even more content. I hope you are all enjoying this. My take on Three Houses might be a little different, it may seem a bit slow at first, and Max may seem a lot more important than some other characters, but I'm still pretty new to Fire Emblem, barring my attempt at a crossover not long ago. I do hope you guys are finding this enjoyable. I also apologize for the long chapters. I'm unintentionally writing 13 to 14k chapters. I guess I'm just excited haha.  
**

**Starting next chapter, you all get to see the Support System! I.E. you get to see the list of people that Max will support with. I may have overdone it with the list that I have going on, but eh... Byleth can support with everyone, so I mean... I guess I can have Max support with a lot of people too? Not the entire cast mind you, just the ones that are my favorites in the games. And I have a lot of favorites.**

**Some are probably wondering why Nowi is here and my answer is... I want to flesh her out a little more, and she's adorable, sue me. I was gonna have Tiki in here as well but I think it's Nowi's time to shine. I have a lot of things planned for her in the future.**

**The beginning of this might take some time to get started, I'm gonna be honest with you all, it's been a little rough. But I think I'll get over this rough patch. For the most part, this is just my take on Fire Emblem if I was a student at the Officers Academy, kind of? Not really? It's kind of hard to explain lol.**

**I'm rambling, I hope you guys have a Happy Halloween! And if it's November 1st for you then... good luck, No Nut November has officially started for you.**


	3. Chapter 3: New Student II

**A True Knight of Seiros**

**Chapter 3**

**Blue Sea Moon**

**Part I**

**White Clouds**

**New Student II**

Max jolted awake, at the loud pounding that was coming from his door. He fumbled around for a moment, disoriented as the sun's light struck him in the face. It took him a few moments for him to gather his bearings, before being able to stand up. He realized then, he was still wearing his uniform. Memories from the previous day hit him like a runaway horse. He had woken up from a coma, after receiving a mortal injury saving some kidnapped girls. He remembered, his village had been attacked, and he has lost both his father and his close friend. Now he was at Garreg Mach, the place he had yearned to go to, for quite a long time.

It was a very surreal experience, drowned only by the misery of his situation. He still wished he hadn't lost his father. That it hadn't taken a village-wide attack to push him toward his dream of becoming a knight. He, however, knew that he couldn't change the past and that he would have to face it head-on. He brushed the sleepiness out of his eyes, brushing his hand through his hair as he walked to the door, just as the knocking grew louder. He undid the lock and slowly opened it, looking around for a moment. He spotted a familiar green-haired girl, smiling up at him.

"Good morning Max!"

"Nowi?" he mumbled, holding back a yawn. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Yep! Do you?" she cheekily replied, making him sigh. He opened the door wider, allowing her entree into the room.

"Clearly not, if I'm asking you what time it is," the young man replied, closing the door after her. She held back a giggle, jumping onto his bed, wiggling about for a moment before placing her hands on her knees.

"Well, it's time for class! That's why I came here, Professor Byleth was expecting you earlier so she could introduce you to the class. However, you decided to sleep in. Seeing her deadpanned look as she took attendance was hilarious."

"Ah… dammit," the boy mumbled, as he quickly dove into the bathroom, closing the door behind himself. He was quick to take care of his morning rituals, making sure he had washed his face, brushed his hair and straightened out his outfit. He needed to get some more clothes at some point. After a few minutes, he stepped out of the room, looking at himself in the mirror.

"It's alright to be late you know. I mean, you were sleeping for a long time, it's hard to shake out of that routine after a while," she said, earning an odd look from the man.

"It sounds like you've spoken from experience," he said.

"That's because I am," she replied, looking up from her hands. "When I turned five hundred, I fell into a deep sleep. It happens when young manakete are transitioning into their preteen years. I looked like a five-year-old at that point. I slept for 200 hundred years, and when I awoke, I looked in a mirror and saw my cute self as I stand before you!" she said happily.

"Huh… what about when you mature?" Max asked, turning to face the manakete. "You haven't reached puberty yet, have you? Goddess that sounds like a weird thing to ask."

"It's fine, a lot of people have asked me those questions before. To answer your question, I have and I haven't. I am mature in human terms, meaning I can have children if I want. But I'm still a child in manakete years. The next time I have my growth spurt should be when I turn two-thousand years old! According to my friend Tiki, it's a major milestone. I'm not gonna fall asleep though, it'll just be a period of accelerated growth as I mature into a young adult."

"I see… eh, dragons are weird."

"Not really. In many ways, dragons are a lot like humans. We share the same emotions, wants and needs. Sure, you humans can't turn into dragons and don't have hoarding tendencies, but we're not that different. In fact, the only think that makes us different is our immortality."

"Immortality," the boy said, sounding slightly baffled. He recalled what she had told him the day before. Maneketes and Dragons would be able to live for a great many years, outliving humans ten to one. It was a rather sad thing for him to hear, especially because she had outgrown all of her friends. "Must be awful huh?"

"It isn't really. I'm happy with the life I've been given. I used to look at my life as a curse… being unable to move forward. I would always stay in the past, remembering the friends that aren't there anymore. But Tiki taught me that every life is valuable. That I should treasure the friends I make, and never let them die. They may leave many legacies behind, but in time they'll fade into the throws of time. I won't… I am their legacy, in a way. So long as I'm alive, my friends are with me."

The boy remained silent, pondering her words for a moment. She was right… as long as he was alive, the people who had died would be alive as well. Never fading into obscurity. Much like her, he wouldn't let those that died before him die as well. He smiled, ruffling her hair much to her joy.

"You are a very intelligent young lady you know that?" he asked, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Thanks! Be sure to tell the others that more often alright? Oh, snap! The others, we need to get you to class like right now!"

"Ah, shit! Come on, before the two of us get detention or something!"

**Max and Nowi have reached C Support**

* * *

"You know, this is a very relaxing class. Just sitting here, doing absolutely no work. I really appreciate it." Hilda said, sighing contently. The look on the Professor's face made her shudder, but she just gave her one of her famous grins, hoping to lessen the tension.

"I gotta agree with ya there Hilda. What's the point of knowledge when all you need is muscles to fight? Honestly, I think we should be training right now. We gotta keep our bodies prepared for battle, and afterward we can all eat a giant plate of food!" the voice of Raphael said from the other end of the room. Next to him, Leonie groaned, pinching her eyes.

"You do know that knowledge also helps in battle? Like battle strategy for example."

"That's where the Professor comes in! She's a tactician after all." the blonde man said. The woman sighed, looking up from her paperwork as she leaned back against her desk.

"While I am glad that you praise my skills on the battlefield, try to remember that I won't be your professor for your entire lives. Sometimes, things need to be resolved in another matter. That's where battle strategy comes in. You can't just rely on vomit-inducing poison all the time."

"Hey, if a strategy works, it works!" Claude said, chuckling as he leaned back in his seat. He placed his hands behind his head, giving the professor a wink. "Besides, in the middle of a war, I don't think people will care. Mild diarrhea is better than fighting an entire platoon of trained soldiers."

"Yes, that would be all well and good if that was a surefire strategy," Lysithea said, looking up from her magic tome. Her fellow classmates looked at her, looks of curiosity on their faces. She set her book down, crossing her arms. "Without a sound strategy, the enemy could get the upper-hand. Sure, you can poison a few of them but what's stopping them from calling for reinforcements?"

"The fact that they shit their pants?" the house leader asked, causing several students to laugh. The Professor sighed, shaking her head.

"Claude please, you are supposed to be setting a good example for our house. You are the future leader of House Riegan, the leading house of the Alliance. Potty humor shouldn't be a priority." the woman said firmly.

"The professor is right, I would have hoped you'd have a little bit more tact." the violet haired heir of House Gloucester said. He had a look of disappointment on his face as he looked as his leader. "Honestly, who would resort to doing something like that?"

"Probably because it lessens the need to take lives. If you can eliminate more soldiers, then they wouldn't have to die. At the end of the day, soldiers are people too." Ignatz said, looking up from his notebook. "Sadly that's too much to hope for."

"So this new kid, what's he like? Has anyone met him?" Leonie asked, hoping to steer the conversation in another direction.

"I met him, he seems like a good kid. He was kind of nervous though, I can't really blame him. He lost his father, his best friend and half of his village is gone. He's been through a lot," Hilda replied, frowning.

"Not to mention he was in a coma for such a long time, he's out of touch with time right now. He's lucky though, it could have been a lot worse." Claude said. He forced himself to his seat, walking toward the front of the class. "Listen up guys, we have to make sure Max feels welcome. Things are going to be a bit rough for him, but he just needs some time getting used to this. Make sure to help him out if he needs it okay?"

"Of course! We'll make sure he feels nice and welcome here, I wonder what his favorite food is?" Raphael said, holding back a chuckle. "You know what they say, the easiest way to make friends is through their stomach!"

"That's probably not a good thing to say, seeing as he was stabbed in the stomach." Hilda quipped, making the muscular man cringe. "Hey, it's the thought that counts right?"

"You guys are the worst," Lysithea said, shaking her head. She grabbed her book, deciding to continue where she left off. Claude was about to say something when Nowi finally returned to the classroom. He almost couldn't recognize her, seeing as she was dressed in a school uniform, only keeping her cape. He gave her a smile.

"Hey, it's my favorite Squirt!"

"I thought Lysithea was your favorite Squirt!" the girl replied, causing the mage to glare at her. She shrugged her look off, not at all bothered by it. "I managed to bring him with me, can you believe he overslept? I would have thought 3 months of being in a coma would make him want to quit sleeping."

"Being in a coma is not the same as sleeping. Whatever the case may be, at least he's here. Would you care to bring him in?" Professor Byleth asked, earning a nod from the girl. She walked toward the edge of the classroom, peering out the door. She stood there for a moment, turning back to the professor.

"So… I did bring him back here with me but it seems he's gone."

"What do you mean he's gone?" Byleth asked, a firm look on her face. Nowi shrugged. The professor sighed, shaking her head. "Take your seat, would you? The Black Eagles have a training period at the moment, so I'm going to ask Professor Hanneman to watch you guys. I'm going to search for Max and bring him here myself. I didn't think he would give me these many problems on his first day," she said, sounding exasperated as she left the room.

"Yeesh, Max is in for a big one when he gets found. He's probably in the mess hall, he didn't eat breakfast after all," the green-haired girl said, taking a seat next to Marianne, who shied away from the manakete. "Hiya Mary! How's life treating you?"

"I uh… it's okay," she said softly. She remained silent as Nowi asked her a follow-up question, one that she wouldn't be able to answer.

* * *

Max scratched his head as he looked around the garden. He had been keen on heading to class, however, he had spotted a familiar face among the children in the monastery. Gregory's little sister Trula. He hadn't seen her since he had woken up, his brotherly instinct became active as he decided to follow her. He had promised himself and Gregory that he would take care of her, seeing as her parents were among the list of victims in Roscoe Village. She was an orphan, and he needed to ensure that she was doing alright.

Trula was unlike most little girls, she took after her older brother after all. She liked playing in the mud, collecting bugs and rough sports. She had been growing out of a few habits, and had been taking an interest in flowers, thanks to his own little sister Maya, but he knew at heart, Trula was a tomboy. Her lengthy auburn hair was in a side ponytail, swaying in the light breeze as she knelt next to the flower bed, she had a trowel in her hand, and a small pile of dirt next to her. Her outfit, a simple tee shirt, and overalls, was covered with fresh mud, her hands were brown, almost black from digging. Her ankle boots were caked in dried dirt. Where had this girl been playing?

Max knelt next to her, looking at the flowerbed that she was digging up. She looked up at him for a brief moment, probably thinking he was someone else. She let out a gasp, before looking away, her focus back on the hole she was digging.

"Um… how are you doing?" Max asked, hoping to get her to talk. She shrugged her eyes firmly on the hole. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," she said softly.

She held the trowel out to him for him to take, which he did. She reached beside her, grabbing a pot. It was then that Max realized what she was doing. The pot in her hands contained a single bundle of flowers, night sky petunias. They were abundant in Roscoe Village, in fact, they grew in fields around their wheat plantation. It was one of Gregory's favorites. He often joked how he would present a basket of them to his future wife. She gently took the plant from the pot, placing them in the hole she had made. She grabbed a bit of the potting soil that was left in the pot and filled the hole, using the dirt she had originally removed.

"I wish my brother was here," she asked softly, as she patted the dirt around the plant. Max swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn't exactly know how to reply to her question.

"I'm sorry," he said, after a moment of silence. He looked up at the sky, the clouds were moving toward the east. It was a beautiful summer day, and it wouldn't be long until the true heat of summer set in. "I should have fought that guy. It should have been me that died, not Greg."

"Don't say that," Trula mumbled, looking away from the flowers. Her amber-colored eyes were filled with sadness, tears threatening to spill. "You are like my brother to Max!"

"If I had died instead, then he would be here with you."

"And Maya would be just like me," she replied, sighing. "No one should lose their big brother, or their mommies and daddies. Why did they have to attack our village? What did we ever do to them?"

"Nothing. We did nothing to them, they were just after the most important things in our lives. They took our money, all of the young girls, what little weapons they could scrounge and in the end, they burned down half of the village." he said, gritting his teeth in anger. "That wasn't all of them either, that bandit ring… it's big. I'll get them all… one of these days."

"Seeking revenge isn't a wise idea you know," a familiar voice said, causing the two to jolt. Max was suddenly on his feet, looking directly at his Professor. "I was going to give you a demerit for being late, but I can see it wasn't your fault."

"I wanted to make sure she was safe. She's… my last connection to Gregory. I have to protect her, it's the duty of a knight after all." Max said firmly. Byleth nodded, glancing at the freshly planted flowers.

"I would certainly say so. However, you aren't a knight just yet Max. One does not simply say "It's what a knight would do" and does it. You need to train, become better at your skill. I haven't seen you swing a blade yet, but if what I've been told is true, you are quite a budding talent with it. It would be best if you didn't skip out on lectures either." she said, making the man frown.

"Um… is it okay if I take the blame for him, Professor?" Trula asked softly, as she tugged on Byleth's jacket. "He technically did follow me, he's skipping class because of me."

"No, a little girl cannot take the blame for something a grown man has done. However, I also cannot fault him. There are many things swirling around his mind. We are much the same, and we are different as well. You aren't in trouble Max, however, you will be the first one to show us your battle prowess during Sword Training today."

"That's fine. What better way to make a first impression than to lay it out all on the table?" the man said. Byleth nodded, turning away from him.

"I'll be waiting for you in the Golden Deer Classroom, you have ten minutes." with that, she walked away. Max let out the breath he had been holding, brushing a hand through his mint green hair.

"Ugh… why is she so damn imposing like that? Here I thought Edelgard was a scary woman."

"Miss Edelgard is scary? She's been nothing but nice to me!" Trula said happily. Max quirked a brow, curious about what she meant. He shook his head, deciding not to waste any more time. He knelt down before Trula, ruffling her hair a bit

"Listen Ru, things aren't going to be the same from here on out. I'll speak with Lady Rhea, see if I can have custody of you while I'm here. I'm not certain when my mother and my sister will come to Garreg Mach. it seems things are getting harder for Grandmother back in Fhirdiad. Until she can come and take care of you, I'll do so. I can be your big brother. I know I'm not Gregory and I'm not trying to replace him, but I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"I know. Big brother always told me, that if something were to happen to me, and my other brothers, that I should stick with you. I know you'll protect me." she said softly. Max forced a smile on his face, as he reached around his neck.

He unclasped the chain he had been wearing, looking at it for a moment. It was a pendant that his mother had given him when he turned eleven years old. Apparently, it had been a gift from his father to her. Rhea had given it to him the day before, along with the uniform that had been brought to him. He had been so concerned with everything else, he hadn't even noticed it was missing. He wrapped it around her neck, making sure the clasp was secure. He held the pendant in his hand, a heart-shaped locket that he had never been able to open. Trula looked at it with a look of curiosity.

"This belonged to my mom, she gave it to me when I was your age. It means a lot to me, so I want you to hold onto it, okay?" he asked. She gave him a nod, hugging him tightly. He cringed as he felt her grab onto his clothes with her muddy hands. He shook it off, giving the little girl a hug in return. "I gotta go, if you need me, I'll be around."

"Okay, have fun in class Max. Maybe we can play tag later? Nowi kept saying she would get you to play."

"Hehe, sure. If I don't have homework or something. See you later Trula!"

* * *

"So, have you heard the rumors?"

Annette looked up from her book, seeing the soft smile on her best friend's face. Mercedes wasn't one for gossip, but when interesting things happened in Garreg Mach, she was always among the first ones to know. The budding mage was always curious how this came about, but she figured her friend was just naturally curious. She sat down on the bench next to her, placing the basket of sweets beside her. The Blue Lions were on the Training Grounds, each practicing their skills. Felix was practicing his sword skills by himself, as he often did. Sylvain was trying to teach Ingrid how to hold her lance, despite her already knowing how to use it. Everyone knew he was just trying to flirt with her.

Dedue and Dimitri were sparring against each other, with the white-haired man acting as the shield while Dimitri practices all of his strongest jabs. Every so often, they would trade roles, with Dedue swinging his axe while Dimitri dodged his attacks. Ashe was off by himself, as the only archer in the Blue Lions, his area was near the targets. He was practicing with a steel bow, getting used to its draw weight. He had recently gotten the go-ahead from their professor to move up a rank in weapons, so everyone was beginning to train with stronger weapons.

That of course left the final three members of Blue Lions off by themselves. Mercedes was a practitioner of Faith magic. So she would often wait until people would injure themselves to test out her spells. Faith magic was more training the mind than anything else. She always carried a tome around with knowledge on specific spells. Her signature weapon was a staff, which helped channel her healing magic. Annette herself was the opposite, she focused more on Reason Magic, or rather Black Magic. She was currently learning how to use Bolganone and carried its tome with her everywhere. Once she had learned from it, she would be able to cast it from memory.

Having reached a spot to stop, Annette turned to her friend, giving her a curious look. "I haven't heard anything Mercie, what _are _the rumors?"

"Apparently, the Golden Deer House just got another new student! You remember that boy that was brought here a few months back?" she asked. Annette nodded, remembering what had happened.

"Yes, I remember. Everyone who was trained in Faith magic had been called to the infirmary, I remember you got up as soon as you heard and left. But you never told me what happened."

"That's because I was told not to say anything. However, now that he's pulled through I can speak about it. It turns out that boy was a hero in his village, he managed to save several kidnapped children. He was in a very deep coma and awoke yesterday. Lady Rhea assigned him to the Golden Deer House as per his request." she said.

"I heard those rumors." the firm voice of Felix said, as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He took a few more swings with his sword, before sheathing it at his hip. "Everyone is talking about him, he's the son of a knight."

"Hmm… let me guess, you already want to spar with him don't you?" the orange-haired girl asked, earning a smirk from the man.

"Of course. He managed to save the lives of many and held his own against five bandits. Anyone who can do that is worthy of praise. Which is why I want to test his skills."

"Perhaps it would be prudent to get to know him before you do that." the voice of Dimitri said, causing Felix to growl. Facing the blond prince, the heir of House Fraldarius glared at the man.

"And why should I do that? All I wish to do is spar with him, not become his best friend."

"The only reason I say this is because he's been through a lot. He needs friends right now, strong people that will be there with him. Not someone who just wishes to test his battle prowess." the man said.

"I think that's a great idea. I want to get to know him as well, perhaps he has some stories about his father." Ashe said, grabbing an arrow from his quiver. "Whatever the case may be, we should all strive to make him feel welcome. He's probably nervous about being in school."

"Well I'll certainly try to get to know him, he sounds like a good kid," Sylvain said, a grin on his face.

"Tch, you probably want to corrupt his mind with your 'teachings'. I'm telling you this right now Sylvain, you are not turning him into a flirt like you are."

"Jeez Ingrid, why do you always assume all I ever do is flirt with girls?"

"Because that's all you do?" Annette replied, taking a bite from one of the cookies Mercedes had given her. "I mean, just last night you were hitting on that new merchant that's in town. Not only did she not drop her prices, but she slapped you in the face as well."

"She just didn't fall for my charms, I'll sway her sooner or later," he said, a grin on his face. Everyone decided to ignore him. Annette looked around for a moment, noticing someone among them was missing.

"Uh hey, where did Harper go?"

"She was with us not that long ago, I wonder if she-" Dimitri was cut off by a nearby explosion, which caused the entire training ground to shake. Ashe let out a yelp, his arrow flying off in another direction. It stabbed itself in the stone ceiling, the shaft shaking slightly.

"Sorry! That was my bad!" a feminine voice called out, walking out of the black smoke.

She had a bit of soot on her face from the failed spell, which she was wiping away with a handkerchief. Like the other students, she was wearing the uniform of the Officers Academy, though hers was a bit more ornate in various places. She wore a gold and blue bow with hers, along with a short cape. She had long, light green hair reaching down just past her shoulders, decorated with three braids that came down into a small ponytail. She looked like a rather unimposing young lady, but that wasn't the case. She snapped the tome in her hands closed, coughing slightly.

"Maybe fire magic isn't my forte."

"Are you alright Harper? You aren't hurt are you?" Dimitri asked, sounding concerned. She let out a small laugh, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment.

"I'm alright, Your Majesty, really." She said a look of embarrassment on her face. "I think I'm going to go back to practicing Cutting Gale," she replied, frowning slightly.

"That would probably be for the best, elemental magics can be a bit finicky." Annette said, placing a hand on her tome. "Especially when people have certain affinities. You have a wind affinity, so perhaps you should just stick with Wind magic."

"Yeah, you're right. Though I am curious. Why am I so proficient in Wind magic and not Fire magic? It's the same with Electric magic, I just can't get the hang of a thunder spell," she said, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Magic is pointless, you should use your arm strength to swing a sword instead," Felix said, crossing his arms. Harper looked away, rubbing her arm in embarrassment.

"Magic has its uses too you know," Annette said, glaring at Felix. The blue-haired swordsman walked off, once again drawing his sword. He was back to swinging it in no time. Ashe rolled his eyes, he hadn't known Felix for long, but he did know he enjoyed his training.

"We should follow his example and keep training. We've all been tasked with protecting the monastery for the Goddess' Rite of Rebirth."

"Erm… Ashe, how are you doing? After losing your foster father I mean. It uh… must have been tough," Harper asked, causing the boy to sigh.

"I would rather not talk about it. It's been rather rough, the remainder of Lonato's men have been taking care of his business affairs. What remains of House Gaspard is handling everything else. I haven't been asked to take over or anything, I wasn't a legitimate heir after all."

"It's all quite curious though, why would Lonato rebel against the church? I understand they killed his son but there must be another reason." Mercedes said, causing Dimitri to sigh.

"I myself have looked into the whole affair, as it turns out, the Church of Seiros found evidence of his involvement in the Tragedy of Duscur. He had some sort of role in the entire thing, which lead to the deaths of my parents as well as the deaths of many Duscur citizens. That is all I could find in the official records back home. If Lonato had a reason to turn against the Church, then there's information he had that we don't. I believe that information lies here in the Church."

"Is there a way to get that information?" Ashe asked, trying to sound hopeful. The prince shook his head, frowning.

"I'm afraid not, Lady Rhea is keeping that information to herself, it seems. I'll try to petition something with her. It involves people in my home and I wish to resolve this matter as fast as I can. Keep training Ashe, try not to lose focus on your studies as well, I'll handle this," he said firmly.

"T-thank you, I'll keep doing as you ask."

"Hey Harper, you wanna spar real quick? I need to practice this Bolganone spell! Mercie will keep us fighting fit!" Annette said, earning a nod from the green-haired girl.

"I would love too! But I'm not going easy on you!"

* * *

"That's it really, once the fall came around, we would sell our harvest to merchants who would go around Faerghus and Adrestia," Max said as he finished recounting his tale. It had been Claude's idea. It was something he came up with in order to get him to open up a bit. Max had agreed only to focus on something other than his nervousness. And it had succeeded, he had opened up a bit to his class. He definitely owed the man one for helping him out.

"So that's all you ever did? You got up in the morning, plowed fields and went home?" Hilda asked, earning a nod from Max. Her nose scrounged up a bit in disgust. "That sounds awful."

"It may sound awful but hey, it made us some decent money. Not starving to death in the winter was worth the back-breaking work," he said with a chuckle. "Anyway, tending to the fields wasn't the only thing I did. I did occasionally hunt some game with my father. This was usually for the winter since we couldn't survive off of the harvest alone. I'm not that good with a bow though, in fact, I suck with it."

"Well that's something me and Ignatz will have to fix then," Claude boasted, a grin on his face. "He comes from a merchant family in the Alliance, and has been training with the bow for years. I'm sure he'll give you some pointers. I can show you some other tricks as well."

"Really? I don't want to impose," Max said.

"You aren't imposing, we're classmates now Max, we have to help each other out. I wouldn't mind teaching you how to use a bow. It'll be tough but I'm certain you'll be able to handle it," Ignatz happily replied.

"Well, it was quite enlightening to learn more about you and your background Max, if you could please take a seat, we can get started. I have some important information regarding our mission this month," the professor said. The knight-in-training nodded, looking around for a moment. He remembered the professor had placed him with Hilda, due to his surname beginning with E. He shyly sat down next to the girl, who just gave him a smile.

"So what's this about our mission Teach? Is Lady Rhea tightening security again?"

"No, that isn't it. I've gotten some relevant information however, there are some Thieves skulking around the surrounding areas. Lady Rhea has reason to believe they are working in tandem with the Assassination Group that's targetting her. As you all know, Garreg Mach contains very important weapons, weapons that would do a lot of harm if they were to fall in the wrong hands. As such, tomorrow we will be dealing with these Thieves." Byleth said firmly.

"I got a letter from my little sis earlier today, she said that some merchants from Alliance territory have been attacked recently. Most of them have been robbed, while others are being killed. Turns out it's from a group that's operating out of Gloucester territory."

"That's preposterous!" Lorenz snapped, glaring at Raphael. "If they were operating within my territory, my father would have already informed me of it."

"What if he doesn't know? That's a possibility too." Lysithea added, causing the man to huff.

"I certainly cannot deny that possibility. However, my father is on top of all matters taking place in our territory. Him not knowing about Thieves operating in our backyard is preposterous. Perhaps they are operating somewhere else."

"Does it matter where they are operating from?" Leonie snapped, looking exasperated. "If they are out there, killing and stealing then they have to be taken care of! It doesn't matter where they're from. We just have to make sure they are dealt with!"

Max sighed, deciding to tune the others out as they started going back and forth about the Thieves. His mind was elsewhere, on the band of Bandits that had attacked Roscoe Village. Sure, he had dealt with a few of them, but most of them had gotten away. He briefly wondered if they were associated with these "Thieves" the Professor had mentioned. The thought had crossed his mind. Three months had passed since that incident. It made sense for them to regroup and continue their shady business. Of course, moving from the Kingdom to the Alliance made sense. They were being hunted down after all, but why operate near the Central Church? Especially when there were Knights in the area that would take care of them?

"Is something the matter Max? You seem lost in thought." Hilda said, pulling him from his musings. He shook his head slightly, noticing he had everyone's eyes on him. He flushed slightly, regaining his composure.

"Well, I've been thinking, mostly about the Bandits that attacked my village. While we did take care of a few of them, I surmise there must have been more. Only a few attacked the village, while a few others were guarding the girls they had kidnapped. I think they are part of a bigger operation, but I can't figure out for the life of me what they would want kids for, especially young girls." he said firmly.

"Hmm… it matches something that happened several years ago, in House Ordelia. A lot of young children were going missing. My parents had to deal with the ramifications of that event. There were some shady people coming in out of our House quite often." Lysithea said, resting her face in her hands. She remained silent for a moment, closing her eyes in thought. "If there are people that are kidnapping little girls, it might be the same ones from that time."

"But wait… aren't these thieves connected to Lonato's rebellion?" Ignatz asked. "Why would they come here to kidnap children when Lady Rhea is their target?" he continued a look of confusion on his face.

"Um… who's Lonato?" Max asked curiously. The Professor cleared her throat, gaining his attention.

"Lonato was a former lord of the Kingdom, being responsible for House Gaspard. Due to some tragic events, his oldest son was implicated in the Tragedy of Duscur, leading to his execution by the Church of Seiros. Lonato stewed in his anger and started a rebellion against the Central Church, with members of the Western Church in the Kingdom. We were tasked to deal with it, on his person, we discovered a note with plans to assassinate Lady Rhea."

"I see… so that's why there's a lack of knights here, and why Golden Deer has been put on security detail," he said in understanding. He remained silent for a moment, letting this new information settle in his mind. After a moment, he spoke. "Well, I can't offer anything on that. I don't know enough about Lonato to assume things. However, back to the Thieves, I think I know what they're after, or rather who."

"Who? They're after a person?" Raphael asked. Max nodded, his eyes falling on Nowi, who had fallen asleep in class. Her light snores were drowned out by the soft murmurs of the other students. Max, of course, knew how important Nowi was, especially due to her manakete traits, the others didn't, so he had to keep it vague.

"All of the surviving children from Roscoe Village were brought here. Nowi, Trula, my little sister's best friend Tatiana, the second oldest girl in our village, and countless others. If they joined with these rebels from Lonato's faction, who are trying to kill Lady Rhea, it gives them the perfect reason to come to the monastery. While everyone is dealing with them, they'll gather the kids and leave. The purpose for that though, that's what eludes me."

"Huh… I would have never arrived at that conclusion," Claude said, rubbing his chin. A small smile appeared on his face. "Are you sure you weren't holding out on your old man Max? You are pretty smart for your age."

"Hehe, I wasn't," he said cheerfully. "I was just connecting the dots. I don't have concrete information, but I did read that newspaper article on the day of the attack. Not to mention there were kids from various areas in Fodlan, not just the Kingdom. All of them are here, the ones that have been claimed by their parents anyway. It's our duty to protect all of them, meaning we need to go and capture those Thieves!"

"It's a good chain of thought, I will admit. However, we need more concrete proof that they are working together with the Rebels. I'll need to confirm a few things with Lady Rhea. By now, the Blue Lions should be done using the training grounds, so I want you all to practice sparring with each other. I'll let Claude decide pairs this time around." the Professor said, gathering her things.

"I won't let ya down Teach!"

With that, the Professor took her leave, confident that her students would be fine to train without her. Claude rose to his feet, standing at the front of the class, a smirk on his face.

"Well, now that Teach is gone we can begin with our Initiation Ritual," he said, glancing at Max who had a look of confusion on his face. "You're on kiddo! In order to pledge your full allegiance to the Golden Deer House and the Leicester Alliance, you must go through initiation!"

"Claude, what are you blathering on about?" Lorenz asked, a look of disdain on his face. "I do not know what you intend to do here, but I'm assuming it will backfire on all of us."

"What's wrong with a little initiation?" Leonie asked, clearly on board with whatever her house leader was cooking up. "I think it's perfect, especially because Maxy here isn't from the Alliance, but from the Kingdom. He could turn traitor and join Dimitri's class."

"Why the hell would I do that? I chose this class because I felt relaxed here," he said, brows furrowing slightly in annoyance. "Anyway, what's this about initiation?"

"It's quite simple. All you have to do is go into the Black Eagle Dormitory, find Edelgard's personal quarters and take her underwear."

"Fuck you," Max said, causing a few people to gasp. Claude chuckled, having already expected this from the green-haired young man. "Are you trying to get me killed?"

"I was kidding. The initiation is simple, all you have to do is defeat Hilda in a one on one spar. Once you do, you'll be fully welcomed into the Golden Deer House. That's a lot easier and safer, isn't it?"

"Wait, why do I have to fight him? Why can't Leonie or Raphael do it?" the pinkette asked, sounding annoyed.

"Because you've feigned sick the last three sessions. Last week you _sprained _your wrist, and a couple of days ago, you had a _headache _that stopped you from partaking in practice drills. So unless you want me to tell the Professor that you've been bullshitting, you'll spar with the newbie here." he said. Hilda sighed, giving him a nod before turning to face Max.

"I hope you'll go easy on me, I am a delicate flower after all."

"S-sure." he softly replied. He could see the face Claude was making at him, and he wasn't at all happy. "_That bastard… what the hell is he aiming for here?" _

"Well, then it's settled. To the Training Grounds, we have quite an entertaining about ahead of us," he said. Max remained silent as he stood up. Lysithea was shaking Nowi awake, the manakete confused as to what was happening. Max stepped out into the sunlight, cringing a bit at its strength.

"_There it is, the bright summer sun. I can't believe we're really in the Blue Sea Moon. Three months of time lost. If I was still in Roscoe, I would likely be planting seed right now. This is all so new to me. Not even a single day in the academy and I'm already being thrown into battle. I hope I can still fight." _he thought, as he walked toward the Training Grounds. He briefly passed by a few Black Eagle students, a few of them giving him curious glances. He spotted Edelgard among them and gave her a bit of a smile. She looked a bit disappointed but smiled back. The man next to her, however, made him shudder. "_Jeez, what the hell is with that guy? He looks so damn evil," _

It only took a few minutes to walk to the Training Grounds. Max looked around, as it was the first time he had stepped into them. It was quite a spacious arena, where people were meant to practice their combat skills. In the very, a few targets could be seen, a few arrows sticking out from the center. There were some training dummies as well, all of which had seen better days. He noticed dark scorch marks and kicked up sand all over the battlefield. A slight hum of mana hung in the air, meaning someone had recently fought with magic. Due to his mother being a Valkyrie, she had taught him how to channel mana for personal use. He had never taken it up, but she did say he had good control over it.

"_Mother did say I had a budding talent with magic. Maybe I should heed her advice and practice some magic spells. Then again, I should focus more on strength since I'll be a knight. I don't think I'll need any magic in the future." _he mused, as he finished his survey of the field. A few students were still in the Training Grounds, all from the Blue Lion House, he spotted Dimitri among them and frowned. "_Oh no… he was probably expecting me to join his house." _

"Well, if it isn't the Blue Lions, finished training for the day?" Claude called out, grabbing their attention. Dimitri was the first to respond, giving his fellow House Leader a handshake.

"Indeed. All of us are preparing for the mission assigned to us at the end of the month. I hear you've been given another task, to rout some pesky thieves that are lingering nearby?"

"That's right. That's why we're here, in fact, to get some training in before tomorrow. But we're also here to assess the strength of our newest student. I'm sure you've met him." the yellow-clad man said, pushing Max forward. The boy forced a smile onto his face.

"H-hello Prince Dimitri."

"Young Max, so good to see you again. I had hoped you joined our class, but it seems Claude used his charms to sway you away from us." he said, making Max swallow hard. "Don't worry, I figured you'd pick the Golden Deer House. Regardless, I do hope we can become friends in the future. I would like to get to know you, seeing as your family is quite well connected to my own."

"Connected? How are your families connected?" Lorenz asked, giving Max a scrutinizing look. "I had thought you were a mere commoner, I didn't know you were part of the Kingdom's Royal Family."

"I'm not, I am just a commoner," he said with a sigh. "My mother was a Troubadour for the Faerghus Royal Family, well, that was the career she picked after she joined the army. When she was growing up, she was King Lambert's personal maid, for a time."

"Not only that but before his father joined the Order here at Garreg Mach, he was part of the Holy Knights of Faerghus. The Ernest Family has lived quite a long life of knighthood. I only wish you knew more about your family history," the prince said, making Max frown.

"So do I. My father kept quiet about it all my entire life, just when he was going to tell me, he was killed. I feel like there's part of my life that I'll never get to discover," he said. He shook his head, turning back to Hilda. "Well, we're here. We may as well get this sparring session out of the way,"

"If you say so," she replied. Max decided to follow her toward the rack of weapons. All of them were practice weapons, dulled swords, axes, and lances. He spotted a pair of gauntlets as well as daggers and throwing knives. He remembered what his father had told him as he looked at the swords available to him.

_**(Flashback)**_

"_Why don't we practice with wooden swords?" _a young Max asked, as he looked up at his father.

"_Wooden swords do not translate well into training. They weigh less than iron swords, and in certain instances can be detrimental to training. Using a dulled iron sword is much better, you'll learn how to use it, feel its weight, and most of all, it'll make things more realistic." _the man replied, handing him the dulled iron sword. He almost dropped it, the blade striking the ground from how heavy it was.

"_I can't even lift it up!"_

"_Heh… we'll build your muscles up first. I don't think you're ready for sword-fighting yet, but this is a start." _

_**(Flashback ends) **_

Max grabbed one of the swords from the middle of the rack, testing its weight. For all intents and purposes, it was an iron sword, save it didn't have an edge. He held it up at eye level, checking to see if the blade was perfectly straight. He took a few practice swings, nodding to himself when he was satisfied with the blade. He took a few steps back, glancing at Hilda for a brief moment, eyes widening when he saw an axe in her grasp. She, much like him, had donned some training armor over her uniform, something light to protect her vital areas. Even then, his eyes were firmly locked on her weapon of choice.

"_She uses an axe?" _he asked himself, swallowing hard. His heartbeat quickened a bit, as he focused on the weapon. "_Calm down Max, calm down. It's just a practice axe, that blade isn't even sharpened. Not to mention we're in a school, it'll be fine." _

He stood across from the pinkette, who was holding her axe behind her back. He stood as his father had taught him. Spine straight, shoulders back, leading foot forward and his sword tightly held in his grasp. He took a shaky breath, trying not to make it obvious that he was nervous.

"Alright, Hilda are you ready?" Claude asked firmly.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she said unenthusiastically. The man turned to Max.

"Max, are you ready?"

"Yep, ready and willing!" he said excitedly. Claude looked at him in worry, he shrugged it off holding his hand up in the air.

"Okay, at the count of three. 1...2...3! Go!"

Max had almost expected Hilda to run right at him. However, she didn't even move, making him narrow his eyes. He was trying to read her face, but she had a mask on that made it a lot harder than he expected. He wasn't sure how he should approach her. He had never seen her skill in battle and wasn't too fond of her weapon of choice. He decided he would have to move at some point. He remembered a trick his father had taught him once. Glancing briefly at the sky, he noticed the sun's position was just right. He angled his blade, shining the light right in Hilda's face, making her groan in annoyance.

He sprung forward, quickly closing the distance, aiming at her chest. Hilda was quick to react, using the handle of her weapon to block his sword strike. She pushed him back, taking a wide swing at his exposed mid-section which he was able to guard against. He cringed, feeling the vibration of the strike go through his arms. He had no time to focus on that, as he ducked out of the way in time to avoid another swing.

"_Dear Goddess, I felt the wind behind that one! Delicate flower my fucking ass!" _he cried in his mind. He angled his blade in time to block another one of her strikes, sparks flying from their blades. He locked eyes with the axe, a sense of dread filling his mind.

"You're letting yourself be pushed around by little old me? Here I thought you were trained by a knight!" Hilda taunted, giggling. Max spun his sword around, grabbing it tightly with both hands as he thrusted it forward, aiming a jab at the center of her chest, which she easily redirected. She took the change to slam the handle of her axe into his chest, making him cry in pain. "You're wide open."

"So are you." he wheezed, driving his fist into her stomach. She jumped back a few feet, clutching her injury, teeth grit in pain.

He took a few deep breaths, ignoring the pain in his chest as he moved forward, aiming a slash at the pink-haired girl, only for her to completely dodge it. She swung the axe at him, and he twisted in time to avoid it. The two locked in combat exchanging blow after blow, neither landing a hit. He had expected this girl to be weak in combat, given how she had been acting earlier. But he was taken aback by just how good she actually was. She pushed him back, holding her axe high in the air.

"You're making me work!" she cried out in annoyance. A brief flash of green light swirled around her as the Crest of Goneril took effect.

Max blinked for a moment only to freeze in place. Instead of Hilda, the person he saw was the Axe Wielding bandit, the same man that had taken the life of his best friend Greg. Everything around him was still as he laughed, holding his axe the same way he did when he had killed his friend. Blood dripped from the blade as if it had just sunken its teeth into someone's flesh. He grit his teeth, jumping back to avoid the attack, fear, and anger swirling around his mind. He gripped his sword tightly in his hand, a look of anger on his face.

"I'm going to kill you for what you did to my village, you bastard!" he exclaimed, much to Hilda's confusion. She blinked a few times, about to ask what he was going on about before being forced to dodge his attack. He swung his blade with all of his strength, each one narrowly missing her face.

"Hey! I know this is a sparring match but come on, don't aim for the face!"

Max pulled his sword back, his hand glowing a bright golden color. He dashed forward, delivering two swift strikes to Hilda's midsection, sending her tumbling to the ground, axe flying out of her hand. He twirled his sword around, about to drive it downward when he heard Claude call out.

"Alright, that's it!"

Max shook his head, lowering his sword. He noticed Hilda on the ground, clutching her chest in pain. Despite the armor, she still felt the power behind each one of his strikes. He dropped to his knees, kneeling next to her.

"Oh Goddess, I didn't hurt you too much did I?"

"Oof… not much, just uh… minor chest pains. Nothing a big girl like me can't handle." she admitted, taking the armor off of herself. "Still, that was pretty scary. The look on your face I mean, it's as if you lost all reason. And you threatened to kill me."

"I did?" he mumbled, clutching his head. "Sorry… I uh… I should have told you, I don't like axes. The last time I saw one was-"

He let go of his sword, letting it clatter to the ground. He swallowed the lump in his throat, trying not to remember the events of that night. He closed his eyes, only to hear himself scream as the axe was brought down on his best friend's head.

"Max? Hey, Max are you alright?" Claude asked, a look of concern on his face.

"Just leave me alone!" he cried, sprinting out of the Training Grounds. The man sighed, frowning as he crossed his arms.

"Jeez, what's his problem?" Leonie asked.

"Isn't it obvious? That entire match was against his favor, Hilda is an axe user and it's clear that Max doesn't like them." Lysithea replied, a frown on her face. "He probably remembers that night, when he lost his friend."

"Oh," Hilda mumbled, her heart skipped a beat as she bowed her head in shame. "Maybe I should have picked a different weapon."

"No, this is my fault," Claude said, deciding to step forward. The other members of his house gave him looks of curiosity. "I was the one who suggested having you two spar. It didn't even cross my mind that he would have developed a fear of Axes."

"Poor kid, it's been three months but for him, it's only been a couple of days. It reminds me of when I lost my own parents." Raphael said.

"We need to make sure he's going to be alright," Ignatz added.

"Leave him be, at least for now. We need to tend to Hilda's injuries, Marianne, think you can help?" the heir of House Riegan asked, earning a shy nod from Marianne. She knelt down next to the pinkette, holding a healing staff in her hand.

"I-I'll try to be quick."

"Take your time Marianne, you could use the practice. Besides, I'm sure it's just some minor bruising. I wasn't expecting him to have a Crest though. Those two strikes felt like a runaway cart hit me."

"Hmm… It's quite intriguing, seeing him using a crest when to my knowledge and by his own admission, he never had one. Earlier when he was talking about himself, he mentioned his father and his sister being crest bearers, with himself and his mother being born without them. So why would he feel the need to hide that knowledge from all of us?" Lorenz asked curiously.

"Uh… maybe he didn't know he had one?" Leonie asked, shrugging.

"Doubtful, I don't see a reason why one would hide their crest from the world."

"Well when it's something like the one he has, maybe he has his reasons? Come on, it doesn't matter if he was hiding it or not. Let's not get in his business, right now we need to make sure he's alright." Claude said firmly, glancing around the training grounds. "Hey, where did Nowi go? Wasn't she just here?"

"I left her over by the targets, she said she was tired and wanted to take a nap. Or dear… maybe I should have been paying attention to her," Marianne said, a look of disappointment on her face. "I'm an awful person, I shouldn't be trusted with kids."

"Nowi is a free spirit, she'll turn up sooner or later. Maybe she went after Max?" Hilda asked. The others nodded in agreement.

"Alright Golden Deer, we have a small mission. To find our new friend and make sure he's doing okay. Let's all split up and search the monastery. If you kind him remember, just be kind to him. He's going through a lot."

"Gotcha! I'll check the mess hall, I usually eat something when I'm upset. Maybe he's doing the same?"

"Only you would think about searching for someone with PTSD in the mess hall, Raphael. I'll go check the dorms. Maybe he went there for some privacy or something," Leonie said, taking her leave. The others followed suit, beginning their search of the monastery for their missing friend.

* * *

Max sighed as he leaned up against the wall. He didn't like running from his problems, in fact, his father had always taught him to stand up for himself. But seeing Hilda hurt on the ground, due to him? It just made him feel awful. He closed his eyes, seeing the same scene repeating in his mind. It had already passed and yet it was haunting him.

He took a deep calming breath, shaking those thoughts out of his mind. Despite it feeling like it had happened a night ago, he knew that three months had already passed since that date. His heart was heavy, and he was filled with regret. He still heard Trula's voice in his mind.

"_I wish my brother was here." _

That voice hurt him the most. He felt like a failure. What was he doing at Garreg Mach? He talked about how he wanted to be a knight and yet here he was, running away from his issues. All due to a fear of axes. He didn't have what it took the be a knight after all. Maybe that's why his father had hidden his knighthood from him. To spare him from that kind of life.

"Maybe coming here was a bad choice. Tch… as if I even had one, I got stabbed. I hardly had a choice in the matter,"

"Oh? Good afternoon Maximus, I wasn't expecting to see you here of all places,"

He jumped a bit at the sound of his name, looking around for a moment. He smiled a bit, noticing it was only Flayn. This was the first time he had seen her since the previous day. He had grown a bit fearful of approaching her due to Seteth, but he knew he was just being overprotective of his sister. He was the same way with Maya after all. He calmed down a bit, giving her a small smile.

"Hi, Flayn. You know, you can just call me Max, the only one who uses my full name is my mother. And that's when I take the cookies she bakes for the choir."

"My apologies, I'm so used to being formal with all of the students that I've grown used to using their full names," she replied. "Though in a way, by allowing me to use your nickname, we are closer friends no?"

"Uh… I guess?"

"Oh," she said softly, looking away from him. "Am I disturbing you? You wish to be alone don't you?"

"No, not really," he said, rubbing his arm. He sighed, leaning back against the wall. "This is going to seem odd to you but… have you ever been scared of something? Like, to the point where seeing that thing makes you nervous?"

"I do not believe I have ever experienced something like that," the girl replied.

"Ah…" he said, voice trailing slightly.

"Is something the matter? You seem a lot more dejected today than you were yesterday. Of course, we've only just met so I do not know how you act normally,"

"Sorry. I just had a sparring match with one of my classmates. She uses axes as her weapons, and my friend was killed with an axe the night that our village was invaded. I still see it in my head. Every time I blink, I just see that image. It's awful. I feel so useless, for being unable to save him." he said softly, looking up at the ceiling. "Couldn't save him, couldn't save my father, my village almost burned down. I'm a failure."

Flayn remained silent, not knowing what to say to the man. She could tell he was hurting though, in the same way, that she herself was once hurting. She also knew that him losing his friend was only one of his problems, there was a lot of other things swirling around his mind. Things that she knew she couldn't address. However, she could give him advice, as a friend.

"I understand how you feel, you know. Being unable to save someone you hold dear, no matter how strong you are. There are things that we simply cannot do, no matter how much we wish it to be so." she replied with a sigh. "You know, I too lost my mother, a long time ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that Flayn. It must have been tough growing up without her. I know it's been three months already, but to me, it feels like just yesterday. I know I should be thankful because I'm alive and all. It's just tough, I guess." he said.

"Would you like to go fishing?"

"I'm sorry?" the boy asked, being taken by surprise.

"I usually clear my head whenever I'm fishing. There are a lot of lovely fish in the watering hole. I can teach you if you'd like."

The boy simply nodded, not wanting to upset her. She clapped her hands eagerly, a grin on her face. "Excellent, let us be off then. If we wait for too long, the fish will stay at the bottom after they feed."

The walk to the watering hole was a lot faster than he had been expecting. They ended up taking a short-cut, ducking and weaving through a few buildings that Max had never seen before. She spoke with the Fishkeeper for a few moments, before procuring a bucket of bait and a pair of fishing poles. She handed one to him, walking toward the end of the small dock.

"Ah, it's such a lovely day. I wouldn't mind fishing by the sea, but my brother would probably stop me if I tried."

"Is he that overprotective of you?" Max asked curiously. Flayn nodded, carefully sitting down on the dock. She grabbed one of the wriggling worms, placing it on her hook.

"My brother believes that interacting with people could be dangerous. I don't exactly blame him, being here at Garreg Mach puts us in contact with people from all over the world. I just want some friends, people my age that I can connect with. But whenever I meet someone new, he drives them away." she said, casting her line into the water. "Just yesterday, he was glaring daggers at you. I'm surprised you didn't notice it."

"Oh I did, I was trying not to piss myself," he said, cringing. "Sorry, I didn't mean to cuss."

"It's quite alright, I've been around long enough to know what those words are. Between you and me, whenever I'm alone in my room, I like screaming them at the top of my lungs. It makes me feel better," she said softly, making him chuckle. He grabbed ahold of a worm, carefully placing it on the hook. He wriggled for a moment, falling completely off. He frowned as he grabbed it.

"Allow me to assist you," Flayn said, grabbing a hold of his hook and the worm. "Tie it around the hook like this. That way it won't fall off and it can still move about, we want to attract the fish to it, after all,"

She handed the hook back to him, allowing him to inspect her work. "I'll commit that to memory, thank you Flayn." he said, casting his line. It landed softly into the water, the bobber sunk for a moment before floating on the surface. "You know… this is pretty relaxing."

"It helps keep my mind at ease. Tell me, what weapon has you worried?"

"The axe," he said softly. He glanced at the bobber out in the pond, frowning. "I was in that clearing, fighting two guys at the same time. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle, but I got careless. Gregory used daggers as his weapons, and he ended up fighting a guy with an axe. I wasn't paying attention until I heard Trula scream, by then it was too late. The axe was brought down right on the center of his head, he died instantly."

"I see. I take it you get nervous when in close proximity to an axe?"

"Well… before today, I didn't. But seeing Hilda with that axe earlier made me really nervous. Hell, I've been nervous since yesterday. I guess I'm not used to… all of this," he said, gesturing to the entire area with an arm. "Funny how I wanted to come here to be a knight and now I'm a nervous Nelly."

"Hmm… would you like some advice?" Flayn asked, looking away from the water for a moment. He gave her a nod. "Perhaps exposure therapy will help. I understand that you've been in a coma for three months now. But for you, it's only been a day or two. You might be suffering from some mild Post Traumatic Stress, induced by seeing an axe. I believe, if you keep being near them, or even holding them, you may get used to them again."

"Exposure therapy?" he mumbled, rubbing his chin. "You really think that would work?"

"I know so. I was once afraid of fish you see, I used to think they were weird. I didn't like how they never blinked and how slimy they felt out of the water. But my mother taught me to fish, and I caught a large one on my seventh birthday. After that, I continued fishing until I grew to love them."

"Fish and axes aren't the same Flayn. For one, you can't die from a fish."

"Yes you can, have you never fished a marlin? I was almost run through by the long sword," she said, gaze returning to her line. "You'll get used to them again Max, all it takes is time."

She felt a tug on her line, causing her to squeak in surprise. She pulled it back, only for it to jolt, the pole bending slightly. "Oh my, it seems I've hooked a big one."

"Here, I'll help you," Max said, pulling his line back in. He grabbed ahold of Flayn's pole, helping the girl pull the fish in. "Holy hell, this thing is huge!"

"Keep pulling Max, we must not let it get away!" the girl exclaimed. The two continued pulling on the line, fighting with the fish she had hooked. A moment passed and the line finally gave, with the two falling back as they pulled the fish out of the water.

"Well… that was fun," he mumbled, eyeing the flopping fish on the deck. It was far smaller than the two had expected. It was a silver-colored fish, with red markings on the fins. It continued flopping about. "You know something Flayn, maybe exposure therapy is a good idea."

"Exposure therapy? What pray tell would you be exposed too?" the firm voice of Seteth asked, causing the two to look up. Flayn let out a dry laugh, as she quickly rose to her feet.

"Good day brother, what brings you to the fishing hole?"

"The Golden Deer students have been searching for Max for the last hour. I took it upon myself to come find him, yet here he is gallivanting around with my little sister. Just because I permitted you to speak with her doesn't mean you can use her to skip class." he said firmly.

"But I didn't… in fact, she helped me understand something about myself. She's a good friend Seteth, I do hope you allow me to speak with her more." Max replied. Seteth sighed, giving him a nod.

"I would like to apologize, brother, I wasn't aware that Max was skipping class. I found him on the second floor by himself. I could tell he was in distress and wanted to help him out. I take whatever punishment you deem fit."

"Hmm… seeing as it is his first day, I'll let him off with a warning. However, I expect you to be punctual when you go to class. I don't think causing Professor Byleth more problems is what she truly needs." Seteth said firmly. "Regardless of that, it has been brought to my attention that you have manifested a Crest, Professor Hanneman would like to speak with you right away."

"A crest? What are you talking about? I was born without one." Max said, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"That isn't what your classmates have told me. During your sparring match with Hilda, you manifested a crest. It's due to that power that you were able to defeat her. I do not understand the logistics myself, but Professor Hanneman will explain them to you. Run along, it's best not to keep him waiting." he said firmly. Max gave him a nod, uttering a sigh.

"Well, guess this is it for our little fishing trip eh? Thank you for speaking with me Flayn, I feel a lot better now."

"You are most welcome. Perhaps I can assist you with your exposure therapy in the future? I am hardly qualified but I believe it should be handled with the utmost care." she replied. The knight-to-be nodded, giving her a wave. "Yes! I have finally made a friend! I cannot wait to help him!"

"Ahem… what is this about exposure therapy?"

"Erm… perhaps we could talk about it over a meal, would you like some fish?" she asked, grinning sheepishly as she held her catch out to her father. He said nothing as he took hold of the freshly caught fish in her hand.

"I'll have this ready soon."

"Thank you, big brother," Flayn said happily. Seteth smiled, turning toward the mess-hall, ignoring the girl's soft mutters of "That was close" and "I can't believe I made a new friend". Though he was wary, he trusted his daughter could handle herself just fine.

"_Maximus is a good kid, I can see a lot of potential in him. It makes me wonder what his father was like. Was he like Rhea mentioned? Or was he someone completely different? I suppose I'll never know." _

**Max and Flayn have reached C Support**

* * *

_**xxx(End of Chapter 3)xxx**_

**Gained Supports-**

**Golden Deer House: **

**F!Byleth:**

**Claude:**

**Nowi: C**

**Raphael:**

**Lysithea:**

**Leonie:**

**Ignatz:**

**Hilda:**

**Marianne:**

**Lorenz:**

* * *

**Church of Seiros: **

**Rhea:**

**Seteth:**

**Flayn: C**

**Hanneman:**

**Manuela:**

**?:**

**?:**

**?:**

**?:**

* * *

**Blue Lion House:**

* * *

**Black Eagle House: **

* * *

**A/N: Well guys, here is Chapter 3! Another one down in the books. This was a rather fun chapter to write, I finally get to introduce Max to an actual school day. Of course, things aren't going well for him. He's nervous around new people and he has mild PTSD due to what he saw the night his friend was killed. There are a lot of issues that Max will have to get over if he wishes to make his dream come true, and I can't wait to finally start telling his story. I'm super excited about this.**

**As I said last chapter, I am including the Support List at the end of every chapter from now on. I'm doing this, mostly for myself so I know who has what support done. But also so you can see the supports and whatnot. I will be mostly writing supports with Max, but I will be writing supports for certain characters as well. I may do some in-game supports as well, but for the most part, Max will have most if not all of the supports. Shoutout to my bro JCW18, who provided me with Harper Rhoslyn, his OC for this story. I am so looking forward to telling her story as well, it's going to be super fun! She will also have her own unique supports as well. So I hope you look forward to those as well!**

**Well this is it for now. I do hope you all are enjoying this story, and if not well, I do apologize. I'm just trying to have fun with it, after writing nothing but DR for a while, hehe. See you all next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4: Thieves and Merchants

**A True Knight of Seiros**

**Chapter 4**

**Part I**

**White Clouds:**

**Thieves and Merchants**

Max wasn't looking forward to seeing Hanneman. It had only been a day since he had met him, but he was dreading the moment he would cross paths with him again. He didn't think he was a bad man, he was a scholar, someone who enjoyed researching a particular subject. It was how he went about it that worried him. He didn't want someone he hardly knew prodding and poking at him. It wasn't in his schedule.

But why was he even being called to Hanneman's office in the first place? He was born without a crest after all.

Seteth had mentioned something before he had left the Watering Hole. He had manifested a crest during his sparring match with Hilda. But he hadn't felt anything. He was born without one still, what was he supposed to feel? One that's born without a crest couldn't possibly know what it felt like. He wasn't in his right mind during that moment, one second he was in a battle and the next it was over. Perhaps that was the cause of Hilda's injuries?

For the second time today, he made his way to the second floor offices. He just wanted to get this over with as fast as possible. The moment he stepped into Hanneman's office, the man turned around, a gleeful expression on his face. Max didn't know how to react, so he just decided to let whatever was about to happen, happen.

"There you are! Oh, I've been expecting you, young Max. When I was informed by Claude earlier that you manifested a crest, I was completely elated! I wasn't expecting you to actually have a dormant one!"

"Uh,"

"Yes! It's alright to be speechless! Often times, people are born without a crest never manifest one. But there are those lucky few that have one lying dormant within their bodies. When you told me that your sister potentially had the Crest of Noa, I started doing some research into your lineage. I examined your blood, the one that was drawn when you first arrived here, and I found nothing. Nevertheless, Claude's account and the injuries that Hilda sustain tell me otherwise!" the man said, turning away from the boy. He reached for something on his desk, holding back his excitement.

"Professor Hanneman, I didn't manifest a Crest," Max said firmly. He watched for a few moments as the man prepared a few tools. "I assure you, what happened earlier was nothing but adrenaline fueled paranoia. I gotta apologize to Hilda too, for what I did to her."

"Apologies Max, but this is something that we need to discuss. Claude mentioned a brief glowing light just before you unleshed your combat art. Normally, someone without a crest couldn't knock someone down with two single strikes, especially with a dulled blade. Be that as it may, you managed to not only disarm Hilda, but also broke through her guard. That girl may act lazy, but when she tries, she is unstoppable. I proceeded to ask a few of your classmates and all of them said the same thing, a golden crest was visible for a short moment before your attack. That my young friend, is the sign of a crest," Hanneman said matter of factly, as he finally turned to face the boy. He held a syringe in his hand, along with a couple of vials. "All I need is a sample of your blood, to examine it further. I also recommend a physical examination, to see just how this crest is affecting you."

Max locked eyes with the syringe in his hand, seeing the lengthy needle attached to the other end of it. He let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Professor, I don't feel comfortable with you drawing blood from me. It's one thing for it to be provided when I was injured. I would rather uh… not give out my blood. I hope you understand." he said firmly. The man looked a bit disappointed as he set the tools down.

"I completely understand, you aren't the first person to turn down my request. Do understand, I only wish to research your lineage. Right now, you are an enigma. How could a person who was allegedly born without a crest, suddenly manifest one? Don't you find that intriguing?" he asked. Max adopted a pensive look on his face, placing a finger on his chin.

"You raise a valid point. I know for a fact I was born without one, my mother confirmed it for me when I asked her. I was just used to it. My sister had a lot more need for a crest, since she's a mage and all. I was just a regular old farmer."

"That's the magic behind the crests and their power. Some are for magic, others provide the bearer immeasurable strength. Take Prince Dimitri for example. The crest of Blaiddyd provides him with super-human strength. Other crests provide magical strength, it all depends on what type of crest one possesses." the man said.

"Whether it's a major crest a minor crest you mean?" Max asked curiously.

"Exactly! Which is why I wish to assess your own crest. Though, if you do not wish for an intrusive examination or a blood sample, simply stepping on the machine beside you will be enough. It is designed to show which crest a person possesses simply by its magical signature." the professor explained, gesturing to the device by Max's feet.

It was a plain looking disc, violet in color with various markings. Max looked at it closely for a few moments. It didn't look like anything inherently bad. He didn't notice any needles or anything that would stab his feet through the bottom of his shoes. He shrugged, stepping onto the circle.

"Remain still for a few seconds, the circle will need time to scan your mana reserves."

"Alright." the boy said simply. The two remained silent, neither wanting to break the silence. Max didn't speak because he had nothing to say, and Hanneman was waiting for the results of the test. After another moment, the professor spoke.

"That's it, step back for a moment. The machine will show us what crest you now possess." Hanneman said, making the boy step back. He crossed his arms, looking at the machine with rapt curiosity. The light swirled for a moment before the crest finally manifested, causing the two men to gasp.

"No way," Max mumbled, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.

"This is unbelievable, I… I'm at a loss for words!" Hanneman said, quickly moving towards the back of the room, pulling a book from one of the shelves. He flipped through the pages, mumbling a few things under his breath, finally stopping. "Yes, this is exactly what I'm looking for. Maximus, it seems you are in the possession of a very special crest. A Holy Crest in fact."

"I'm sorry?" Max said, finally looking away from the glowing crest that hung in the air next to him. He looked back at Hanneman who was looking at him with a look of excitement.

"Do you know what you are in possession of? Max, you have inherited a Major Crest of Seiros. That's why it glows with such power, a brilliant gold. Throughout the years, those who have possessed this crest have always held minor ones. You are the first person in about 300 years to possess a Major Crest of Seiros. You are quite a lucky man!"

"But… that's impossible!" he exclaimed, a look of disbelief on his face. "I was born without a crest, I can't just magically get one!"

"Sometimes they can lay dormant, as I explained before. It can take many years for them to manifest, sometimes, people don't manifest them until later in life. Others manifest them during their early years. Other times, they are brought out by traumatic experiences, I believe this is why yours took so long to manifest." the man said, looking back at his book. "Still, to possess a crest of this power. Could it be that your mixed blood traces back to Saint Seiros herself?"

"I don't know, I'm not knowledgeable on my own lineage I'm afraid. I'll have to ask my mother, but she's in the Kingdom Capital at the moment. I could write to her if you'd like, but I doubt she'd know the answer." Max said, still in disbelief over what had just happened. "_How the hell is this possible? Me having a Crest? I was always told I was born without one, was my mother lying?" _

"I would love to run some more extensive tests on you Max, but I will respect your wishes. I will need a bit of blood in order to examine this further, are you sure you can't donate just a sample? It will be quick, I promise."

Max sighed, rolling up his sleeve. He had questions and Hanneman could provide answers, losing a bit of blood was a fair trade. If he offered another physical exam, he was running away as fast as humanly possible.

* * *

"_That old man took more blood from me than I expected." _

Max glanced at his arm, frowning at the bandage that now covered his forearm. Hanneman had ended up filling several vials of his blood. Thankfully, he didn't offer a physical exam, but he had still taken out quite a bit of his precious life fluid. He probably wouldn't be able to swing a sword any time soon. Remembering the mission his class had been assigned to made him frown. He would likely have to swing a sword, even if he didn't want too. He entered the mess hall a few moments later, pulling his sleeve down as a few of his classmates noticed him. He sighed inwardly, knowing he would have to face them at some point. So he forced a smile onto his face the moment Leonie approached him.

"There you are! We were worried about you, where did you go?"

"I just needed time to myself. I ended up hurting one of my classmates after all, I just… needed time to gather my thoughts." he replied, rubbing his arms. "That, and since I manifested a crest, I needed to have some tests done. Professor Hanneman had a field day with my arm."

"I'm just glad you finally turned up. Everyone was worried about you!" Lysithea exclaimed, a look of relief on her face. "As for Hilda, I don't think she's too mad at you. Come on, I'm sure you want to apologize to her."

He nodded, following his classmates toward the Golden Deer section of the mess hall. He wasn't too particularly hungry, so he snagged an orange from the fruit basket as he passed it. He looked around for a brief moment, eyeing the meals the others were having. Lorenz seemed to be the only one using proper table etiquette, as he was cutting his steak in a rather fancy manner. His facial expressions told him otherwise, especially since Raphael was sitting two seats down from him, downing dish after dish of food. Ignatz was looking at a book, tapping his pencil as he read, Max briefly wondered what the book was about, wondering if it was a book of legends or fables.

Nowi was sitting beside Marianne, talking about one thing or another. It was clear that Marianne didn't want to be there. Nowi didn't notice the girl's shift in attitude and continued talking amicably. Max briefly met eyes with Marianne, giving her a small smile. She Be that as it may looked away, not wanting to bring any more attention to herself. The final members of their class, Claude and Hilda were lost in conversation about something. Claude looked up after a moment, giving Max a happy wave. His previous nervousness almost melted away, feeling a bit more relaxed than before.

"The Prodigal son returns!"

"Um… hello," Max said, a sheepish look on his face. He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before facing Hilda, a deep frown on his face. Before he could speak, the girl raised a hand, shaking her head.

"You don't have to apologize to me, Max. None of us knew that you had developed a fear of axes. Had I known that, I would have gone with a sword instead. Sure, those hits hurt, but it isn't anything I'm not used to feeling."

"B-but I hurt you! Really badly too, my mother taught me never to hurt a woman," the boy said firmly. Hilda rolled her eyes.

"It's fine, don't worry about it! We're all here training to be warriors aren't we? Wars don't care about gender, everyone is equal on the battlefield after all," she said, stretching her arms above her head. She sighed. "Still, I do wish you'd have held back just a tad. My ribs still hurt, but hey… I got out of training for a week, so there's that!"

"I fail to comprehend how someone like you sees an injury as a blessing." Lorenz said, earning a chuckle from Leonie.

"This is Hilda we're talking about. We've known each other for about three months now, when has she actually tried to fight during our training sessions?"

"Leonie has a point. She tries to get out of training whenever possible, yet whenever Professor Byleth issues a direct order, she always fulfills it. I wonder why that is?" Ignatz said, looking back at the pinkette. She shuddered, looking away from the young merchant.

"There's something weird about that professor. She doesn't take crap from anyone, she can see right through me. If I don't do as she asks, she could do something twice as bad as what she asked me to do in the first place… I'd rather not take any chances."

"You know, I've learned something about hard work from my mother. The more you procrastinate, the worse your work is going to be. The earlier you see your tasks to completion, the more time you have to goof off. I learned that the hard way," Max said, a slight cringe on his face.

"Why do you say that Max? Were you lazy growing up too?" Nowi asked curiously. He gave her a slight nod, tossing a few pieces of his orange peel into the nearby trash can.

"Aside from growing wheat, Roscoe Village was well known for their horse trade. There's an old man near the mountains that has a ranch. He trains horses there for the Royal Knights. Purebred battle stallions and strong mares capable of breeding the noblest, and gentlest of creatures. But when you have a ranch full of horses, you also have a ranch full of waste. Suffice it to say, when the old man fell ill, it became the responsibility of the village children to pick up the manure." the boy said, munching quietly on his orange. He cleared his throat. "You don't want to know how much shit 45 horses can produce in a week. If you shovel it all into one pile, it will span higher than the mountains near Galatea."

"That's a lotta horse shit!" Raphael said, sighing contently as he finished his food. "I would know, my folks were friends with horse breeders in Deirdru. I feel your pain."

"Sweet merciful goddess! Were you both raised in a barn?" Lorenz asked firmly. He dabbed his mouth with a napkin, glaring at Max. "How can you use such horrid language?"

"Erm… well, I did sleep an entire summer in a barn, so yes?" the green-haired lad replied, earning a chuckle from a few of his classmates. "Anyway, I guess I have some explaining to do, about my Crest I mean."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that. How long were you going to hide _that _from us?" Claude asked curiously, as he finished eating his food. "You do know what you possess right?"

"A Major Crest of Seiros," the young man replied, finishing his orange. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering what Hanneman had told him. "It's a crest that is associated with Saint Seiros, not only that… it's also the crest of the Hresvelg Family, the Imperial Royal Family."

"So my eyes weren't deceiving me," he mumbled, rubbing his chin. "Well, none of us were expecting to see that."

"Claude is right. Not everyone in the Golden Deer House was born with a crest. In fact, Raphael, Leonie and Ignatz are the only ones without crests. So when you told us you didn't have one, we had assumed you were just unlucky. Yet here you are, using a major crest and a holy one at that. It's quite impressive!"

"It isn't really, Lysithea." Max said, rubbing his neck. He remained silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "I wasn't lying when I said I was born without one. For most of my life, I didn't have a crest. I knew that my father had one, the crest of Ernest, and my sister has the crest of Noa. I had always assumed I was born without one, I never manifested one when I was a kid… I wonder why I manifested one now of all times?"

"Maybe it was due to what happened to you. You did have a traumatic experience." Hilda added, twirling a strand of hair around her fingertip. "I remember when I was little, my brother took me on a trip with him, to check out some areas in Goneril Territory. We ended up being attacked by Almyran Soldiers. My brother ended up getting wounded, and in order to protect him I grabbed his axe. That was the day I manifested my crest."

"Traumatic experiences are common triggers for crests. I awoke mine through practice But, I just kept doing what I was doing. One day I was tracking a deer and boom, headshot." Claude said, chuckling. "My crest doesn't help me much, but it does make for a cool tattoo!" he continued, showing Max the back of his hand. A crescent-shaped marking decorated his skin, making him look at his own hand.

The all too familiar crest had now appeared on his skin. He had seen this mark quite a number of times, on the capes that the Knights of Seiros used, some of the weapons that they carried. Even the headgear that Lady Rhea was wearing had this mark emblazoned on it. It was the mark of a heroine, the woman who defeated the King of Liberation, and he had been lucky enough to get it.

"It just makes no sense. Why now of all times? Why me? Am I that special that I would inherit Seiros's very own crest?" he asked, frowning as he traced it with his finger.

"I would certainly say so!" Raphael said, chuckling. "I don't get any of that crest mumbo jumbo, but I do understand this. You were attacked by the bad guys, and instead of turning tail and running, you grabbed a sword and fought them off! You did the very thing Saint Seiros did back in the olden days!"

"He has a point. Maybe you were given this crest by the goddess herself! She saw people suffering and decided to grant you the power of Saint Seiros, so that you could use it to stop similar things from happening again."

"You two are reaching," Leonie said, glancing at Lysithea and Raphael with a small smile on her face. "Still, it could be possible. Whatever the case may be, Max manifested a really special crest. But that doesn't mean we'll go easy on him. Come training, we will practice as hard as we can, and no silly crest is going to stop me from doing my best!"

"Hmm… training is all well and good, but Maximus has another responsibility now. He bears a very important crest, one that not many commoners get to see. I would advise you to watch how you act and how you speak around others. It may affect you and your peers negatively." Lorenz said firmly. He gathered his utensils, placing them on his tray. "Do remember that, alright Max? I shall take my leave now. It was a pleasure dining with you all."

"Thanks for putting more pressure on my shoulders, I certainly needed that!" the boy hissed in a sarcastic tone, a look of indifference on his face.

"Don't pay attention to him. He's just a posh noble who worries about his noble standing far too much for his own good. In a way, he's trying to look out for you. He's right, now that you have a Major Crest of Seiros, people will look at you differently. Some might even try to kill you." Claude said.

"Kill me?"

"Mhmm… Saint Seiros shared her Crest with the Hresvelg Royal Family by giving the founder of Adrestia her blood. That's how her crest has survived this far. It's possible she did the same to your ancestors, which is why you have it right now. People believe that if you give people blood, you also transfer the crest. It's undocumented of course, but you never know. Better safe than sorry," Lysithea said, glancing back at her book.

"All of this crest stuff is kind of silly. Where I come from, we don't even have Crests!" Nowi exclaimed, finally joining the conversation. Marianne looked relieved, taking the time to leave the mess hall before the girl noticed.

"You've never mentioned your home until now. What's it like Nowi?" Hilda asked curiously, earning a smile from the girl.

"It's really pretty! It has a lot of rolling hills and fields, and mountains with delicious air! The cities are also big and beautiful, and the people are super nice. Well, the ones that don't like putting people in cages and turning them into slaves."

"Is… slavery common in your homeland?" Max asked softly, after a moment of silence. Nowi shrugged, looking at Lysithea's uneaten chicken.

"It is in Plegia." she mumbled dryly, grabbing the chicken leg. She bit into it, earning complaints from the white haired mage. "Still, Ylisse is a very pretty place. Maybe you all can visit some time?"

"Sure kiddo! I would love to see where you are from!" Claude said, ruffling her hair.

Max frowned inwardly as he traced the Crest that had appeared on his hand with his fingertip. His classmates had fallen into conversation, discussing various things that didn't particularly interest him. Claude took it upon himself to share with them the details of the mission they had to take care of in the morning. While he did hear what he was saying, he wasn't actually listening to anything. He was trying to figure out what to do next, nhis erratic thoughts were becoming far too muddled.

"Are you alright Max:? You've been quiet this entire time."

He finally looked up from his hand, seeing the looks of concern on the others faces. He forced a smile onto his face. "I'm just thinking about the mission… and about some other stuff. I'm just…worried. For my mother and my sister I mean. They're in Fhirdiad right now, and I haven't heard from them since that day. Not even a letter or something. I know I just woke up and all but… can't blame a guy for worrying right?"

"Maybe you should go back to your room. You've had a long day, some alone time might do you some good. No use being around here and getting all stressed out. We don't have any homework to take care of either." Ignatz suggested, earning a nod from the boy.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Especially since we all have to get up early tomorrow. I really hope my arm isn't too sore tomorrow. I should probably get a shield or something. I'll see you all later," he said, bidding farewell to his classmates.

"I don't think he's adjusting well," Leonie said, running her fingers through her hair. "Was him joining the Golden Deer a good idea? I don't think he has enough in common with any of us."

"I doubt that's the case. Ever since he woke up, he's been hit with bombshell after bombshell. He just needs some time. Remember when we all came here on day one? We had to do drills and the like to get adjusted to each other. Three months out, and some of us still can't stand each other." Claude said firmly.

"Ugh… don't remind me. Those drills were awful, who thinks it's a good idea to take teenagers into a bandit infested forest? And then he runs off like the little sissy he is. The bastard!" Hilda cried angrily.

"He was probably not qualified! Those drills could have been a breeze if I was leading the charge!" Raphael boasted, grinning as he flexed one of his arms. "I could have taken care of those bandits in two hits!"

"Or, they could have taken you out with a single arrow." Lysithea deadpanned, flipping through her book. "Claude is right, we just need to let him adjust and he'll be fine. Sadly, I don't have time to make friends. I am far too busy studying magic to dilly-dally with tea parties and sunset walks around the monastery."

"I'll give you a slice of cake if you partner with him during tomorrow's mission." the leader said, causing her to snap her book closed.

"Make it a slice of buttercream cake and you have yourself a deal!"

Leonie sighed, sometimes she wondered if she herself had chosen the wrong house. Then she remembered her village back in Alliance territory and remembered she wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

* * *

Max had wanted to go to his room to relax for the night, but his mind was racing with questions. How had he gotten the Crest of Seiros? He had gotten tests done as a child and all of them had been negative for a crest. It was out of the ordinary for something like that to just appear on someone who previously didn't have it. He decided the only place he could truly find his answer was the library.

The librarian, Tomas, thankfully wasn't there. He didn't know why, but he always felt awkward around the old man. He had run into him a few times since his first meeting, and while he did seem nice, he also felt something off about him. His mother had taught him how to read mana signatures when he was younger, so he could tell when powerful mages were nearby. It was odd that a man like him had so much magical energy. It was also why he felt weird around Lysithea, the girl was brimming with magical power, but the others seemed completely unaware of it. He shrugged it off, not wanting to bring up any topics like that. After all, he had just met these people, he didn't want to upset them.

As he scanned the texts provided to the students, he found absolutely nothing on Saint Seiros. Of course, he did find the history of the Four Saints, Indech, Macuil, Cethleann and Cichol. He had read most of those books before, but the book on Saint Cethleann was one that he had never gotten to read as a kid. Whenever he had visited the library in Fhirdiad, it seemed as if someone had taken it out. Now, he had the chance to read it.

Looking around for a moment, he noticed a chain barring access to the higher parts of the library. There were countless shelves, filled to the brim with older looking tomes. Noticing he was completely alone in the library, he decided to step over the chain, climbing to the second floor. He jumped back, when he noticed someone sitting at the corner, away from the entrance or from the view of anyone, with a stack of tomes beside her. She looked up at him, her mint green eyes locking with his own.

"Um… hello." she said softly. He looked around for a moment, trying to see if anyone else was up there.

"Hi." he murmured in return. She didn't say anything else, her gaze shifting back toward her own book. He took notice of her appearance, feeling as if he had seen her before. The Green hair and the eyes were certainly familiar. He tilted his head in thought. "Have we met before?"

"I don't think so. I think I would remember meeting someone like you, there aren't many people with green hair at the monastery after all," she said.

"Right… I guess I'm not the only one who thinks that huh? There's a surprising lack of green haired people here. Eh, who am I to say anything?" Max said with a shrug. "Erm… do you know if there are any books on Saint Seiros up here?"

"I haven't seen any up here." she quickly replied, her focus on the text in front of her. It was clear to Max that she didn't want to be bothered. And since both of them didn't want to be found, he decided to remain quiet.

He moved toward the other side of the library and started looking through the books. He narrowed his eyes a bit, trying to read the spines in the low lighting. Some words he could make out, others were worn due to age. After a while, he decided to just open the book covers individually and read the inside contents. Finally, he found one with a familiar crest on the front cover, making him sigh.

"Finally. Seems like this is the only one up here," he mumbled to himself.

"I heard the librarian say something earlier. Apparently, books that are donated to the library here are examined by Seteth. If they don't follow the church's view of things, he gets rid of them. No idea why," the girl replied, having heard his voice. He briefly wondered how she had heard him, but shrugged it off as he opened the book.

"Hmm… what are you doing up here? Curious about what the church is hiding from the people?" he asked curiously, quirking a brow. The girl shook her head, sighing.

"I just want to know more about the world. This library is a treasure trove of information, but even I know I don't have nearly enough time to read it all. One thing I have noticed though, is that some of the books downstairs differ in nature. Almost as if they don't match up, but I'm not exactly sure how they don't match up. It's weird," she replied, flipping a page in her book. "Why are you up here?"

"I ended up manifesting a Crest I wasn't aware I had, needed some information on Saint Seiros. I could have asked Lady Rhea, but she's so busy I don't want to bother her with my problems."

"Honestly, it's the same for me. I just wanted to know more about my own crest… and generally everything," she admitted, giggling. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Harper Rhoslyn, a member of the Blue Lion House. I'm from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus… I think."

"You think?" he wondered aloud, shaking his head. "My name is Max, I'm a member of the Golden Deer House, and I also come from Faerghus."

"Oh that's neat! As for before… well… only a few people know about this, but I actually have amnesia. I don't remember anything about myself or where I'm from. I woke up in Faerghus, that much is certain. That's the reason I'm here, to learn more about Fodlan!"

Max frowned at this. This girl had amnesia? And she still came to Garreg Mach? He couldn't help but feel pity toward her. He couldn't imagine being unable to recall certain aspects about himself. Living his life without memories of his sister, of his mother and father, of his home? He didn't think he could ever imagine it. He sat down beside the girl, who brought her legs a bit closer to her body, seemingly not minding his choice to stay.

"Um… are you okay? Without knowing who you are I mean?" he asked softly. She sighed, a frown decorating her lips. She closed the book she had in her grasp, leaning back against the shelf.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't. The only memory I have that I remember vividly is the first time I woke up. I was surrounded by villagers, in a place I didn't recall. I was scared, but I was also assured I was safe. They showed me around, gave me a place to stay, and that was my life. No matter how hard I thought back, it always came to a blank." Harper replied, looking up at the ceiling. "But… I ended up meeting someone important, someone special. And he brought me here with him. So, I decided to forge my own path, and hopefully, potentially, regain my memories. That's why I snuck up here, I wanna know all that there is to know about Fodlan's history, but Seteth makes it hard."

"Now that you mention it, there was a book here yesterday. It had been recently donated and when he was showing me around, he ended up taking it. It makes me wonder if it was the book on Saint Seiros that I'm desperately looking for." he said with a chuckle.

"Why are you looking for a book on Saint Seiros of all people? I get that she's important, but I would have figured you'd be looking for something, a little more… interesting?"

"Interesting? What do you think I'm interested in?" Max asked, giving her a firm look. She shrugged, looking back at her own book.

"I dunno… magic or something? I did hear the rumors though. You are the son of a former Knight of Seiros. I would have thought you'd look up the Heroic Exploits of Sir Maximus Decimus Meridius."

"I've already read that one, several times actually," he admitted, a small smile on his face. "I may want to be like Sir Maximus, but even I know it's going to take a lot of training. The reason I want to know more about Seiros is that I have her crest."

He held up his hand, showing Harper the black mark on his skin. She narrowed her eyes a bit, taking in all of the small details of the crest. She had a blank look on her face as if she was trying to discern if she had seen that crest before.

"_Huh… why does this crest look familiar to me? I know I've seen it on the Knights and around the monastery. But it feels as if I've seen it before… long before I came here." _she thought, a finger on her chin.

"**This boy, he reeks of the Immaculate One. I never thought I would be forced to breathe the same air as one bearing that crest." **

Harper ignored the voice in her head, snapping out of her trance. She gave Max a smile, having noticed the concern written on his face. "I'm okay if you were wondering. I was just thinking, this mark seems familiar to me. Not because I've seen it around here, but because I feel like I saw it before I came to Garreg Mach."

"Huh… that's interesting. Maybe you were part of the Knights of Seiros in the past? That's all I can think of… or maybe you were a member of the Church!" Max said, earning a look of intrigue from the girl. "There's a church near the Kingdom Capital, the one that was involved in that rebellion with Lord Lonato. If you remember that crest, it's probably because it was part of your clothing."

"That… makes an extreme amount of sense," she mumbled, cringing a bit as she closed her eyes. "It would probably explain why I have so much magical potential. Maybe I was studying to become a Bishop. That ended up with me taking a mission where I lost my memory. But… for some reason that also feels wrong. I'll jot that one down for later."

Max was about to say something when he heard footsteps. He quickly shot to his feet, grabbing a hold of the two books he had. "Shit… someone's coming. We better get out of here!"

"Right!" Harper cried. Max held out his hand, which she gladly took. The two of them were quick to climb down the stairs, jumping the chain just in time for Seteth to enter the library, with Tomas and Flayn following suit.

"And that's the story of how I learned how to ride a horse." Max said the moment the three had taken notice of the two. He silently gestured for Harper to play along. "So yeah… that's how got used to it. If you wanna learn how to ride horses, I suggest getting to know the horse first. A good way to do that is to start brushing it. Change its shoes, that kind of stuff."

"Ah! Of course, I will definitely do that! I must get in-tune with my horse brethren." Harper said, sounding rather stiff. She cleared her throat as Seteth approached them. "Hello, Seteth, what uh… what brings you here?"

"I came here to check on the donations we have just received. I could be asking the two of you the same question. Your classes have assigned missions for tomorrow correct? I would advise you to get some rest. It wouldn't be wise to go into battle lacking sleep," he said firmly. Max nodded, bowing his head slightly as he walked.

"Wait a moment, what is that in your hands?" Tomas asked, causing Max to stop. He swallowed the lump in his throat, as he held the book out. Harper looked at it, seeing the Crest of Cethleann on it. She briefly wondered where the Book of Seiros was, having not seen it in his hand.

"Since I grew up in a remote village, I don't know much about the legends of Fodlan. I wanted to start reading some of the books on Sir Maximus, but Harper here suggested I read the books on the Four Saints. When she told me about Saint Cethleann, I became intrigued so I decided to read it. I hope that's okay."

"It is most certainly okay! I am very pleased that you decided to start your research with Saint Cethleann. I happen to know quite a lot about her, so if there's something you don't understand, I would be more than happy to explain it!" Flayn said excitedly, much to their surprise. Seteth cleared his throat, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Be that as it may, I would recommend you study when you don't have a mission pending. I know you are free to read as much as you'd like, but try to do it on days off. I hope you two have a good night." he said firmly.

"Will do. Let's go Max." Harper said softly, leading the boy toward the exit.

"Max before you go, Lady Rhea would like to meet with you in the morning, before you leave for your mission. She has something she would like to give to you. You best not keep her waiting."

"Yes sir, I'll make sure to see her bright and early," he replied. The two finally took their leave, sighing in relief when they were far away from the library.

"Nice thinking Max. I can't believe you were able to pull something like that off!"

"Eh… I have a little sister, I got used to her wanting to listen into m conversations. She would try to get incriminating information on me and my friend and then tell our mothers. It never really worked. I'm just glad you played along!" he said happily.

"I do have one question… what did you do with the book?" she asked. He smirked, holding Cethleann's book out to her. With a snap of his fingers, the Book with the mark of Seiros flashed into existence, startling the girl.

"Invisibility magic. I learned that one when I was ten years old, I haven't gotten the full hang of it. But I can make small objects invisible. With practice, you'll be able to use it for a few minutes without people spotting you. Neat huh?"

"Most definitely! I need to learn that for myself!" she said. The two made it outside, breathing a sigh of relief, all tension from the previous encounter melting away.

"Hmm… maybe I can teach you. Later of course, it seems the two of us have a busy schedule ahead of us." he admitted, a sheepish grin on his face. "It was nice meeting you Harper. I'm sure we'll be the best of friends!"

"Mhmm… it was nice meeting you too Max! Good luck with your mission in the morning!" she cried out, as the boy walked toward the Golden Deer Dormitory Building. She watched him go for a moment, a smile on her face.

"I made a new friend today. I better write his name down in my journal so I don't forget."

"**That boy is certainly interesting. Not only does he have a Crest of Seiros, but he also smells like the Immaculate One. What kind of ploy is this? Harper, I want you to get to know this boy. Find out his secrets, become his friend if you must. I wish to know more about him."**

"_Why? You've never shown interest in anything before. Why show it now? What's so important about him?" _she mentally questioned, earning a sigh from the voice.

"**I need to confirm something, that's all."**

**Max and Harper have reached C support**

* * *

Max made sure he was up bright and early the very next day. He didn't have much time to read anything. Instead, he just went back to his dorm and took a shower. He was reminded of his lack of clothing, save for the uniforms he had been provided with. He made a mental note to purchase some clothes when he was able to. The second thing he did was go to the armory. Having shown the guard the card Professor Byleth had given all of her students, the man allowed him into the armory. He grabbed an iron sword and a round iron shield, along with some spare armor. If he wanted to keep doing missions, he would most likely have to have custom armor made for him. He would make sure to ask the Professor about that.

Some of the monks and priests gave him odd looks as he made his way toward the Audience Chamber. They weren't expecting someone to walk up there with a sword and shield. He had expected them to be used to it, seeing as there were knights decked out in full body armor all over the place. He shrugged it off, giving polite hellos to everyone he passed. Once he made it to the Audience Chamber, he calmly walked in, taking a deep calming breath through his nose.

Lady Rhea was standing at the other end of the room, in her full splendor. The sunlight streaming through the windows made her seem even more ethereal. The light reflected off her skin making it glow a beautiful ivory. Her hair was shimmering, looking like a million emeralds. She was radiant, godly even, at least in his eyes. He felt his cheeks heating up a bit as he continued moving forward, taking in every single inch of her ample body. He was certain he was going to hell for thinking of the Archbishop in any lewd ways. But how could he not? This woman was beautiful. Wrangling in his hormones, he stopped in front of her, just as she finished speaking with one of the Priests.

"Good morning Lady Rhea," he said, sounding a lot stiffer than he wanted.

"Good morning to you as well, you seem ready for battle," she said, looking at his sword. He placed a hand on its hilt, forcing a smile onto his face.

"If I'm being honest, I would rather stay here. I'm not exactly keen on fighting anything at the moment, but this is also a good experience for me. I won't become a knight by slacking off, after all." he admitted with a sigh. "Anyway, I don't want to take up a lot of your time. Seteth told me last night that you needed to see me?"

"Yes, that is correct. We received something from your mother a few days ago. It seems like some of the survivors of Roscoe Village tracked her down in the Kingdom Capital and took some valuables to her. Follow me, I shall give them to you."

Max remained silent as he followed the woman toward her office. It was a lot bigger than he was expecting it to be. But it was also more inviting than the Audience Chamber. There weren't any others looking at them. No Priests, Monks or Knights who sought to have an audience with the archbishop. Just the two of them. She stepped up to her desk, where a small box was placed, along with a small pouch and a letter. Rhea grabbed the letter first, handing it to him.

"From your mother, I'm assuming this is to inform you of something important. The last time she contacted us was due to your grandmother's sudden illness. I had read the letter that time due to your coma, Though this time, I believe you should read this one." she said, giving him a small calming smile. He accepted the envelope, glancing at the red seal on the back.

"The seal of house Blaiddyd… I wasn't expecting to see that," he mumbled softly. He slipped his finger under the seal, lifting the flap. He grabbed the folded pieces of parchment resting within, seeing his mother's neat writing.

"_Dear Max,_

_I hope this letter reaches you in good health. Though, if things haven't improved I assume the one reading this Lady Rhea, in which case it doesn't matter. I hope you are recovering well. We've been on pins and needles waiting for more information from the Monastery. It's been rather hectic these past few months._

_First and foremost, I write this letter to inform you of your grandmother's passing. She suffered a heavy fall days before Roscoe was attacked. The Kingdom Mages tried their best to heal her, but the damage had been far too great for her brain. She was beginning to lose touch with reality. She slipped away peacefully in her sleep during the first of the Blue Sea Moon. It should be around the 15th when this reaches you. If that's the case, then it's already been a fortnight since this event._

_As me and your uncle, Francis, are the only remaining relatives, we will be taking care of all final arrangements, including selling properties and the like. I shall be joining you at Garreg Mach when I am through with this, likely during the Wyvern Moon, perhaps a little earlier. I guess it all depends on how things turn out. Things are going well for me and your sister, for the most part. So we'll see what we can do._

_Speaking of your sister, she managed to make it into the Mage School here in Fhirdiad. Already, she seems more advanced than some of the mages there. She has been learning at a steady pace, and will most likely be recommended to finish her teachings at Garreg Mach. Should she pass the required exams, she might be seeing you sooner than even me. I'm quite proud of the woman she's becoming, following right in her mother's footsteps, that one is._

_As a final note, one of our neighbors ended up salvaging a few things from our home. The bandits that attacked ended up setting it on fire. Half of the building burned, but parts of the upper floors managed to make it out unscathed. The box attached to this letter is our savings. We've been saving for your stay at Garreg Mach for years. Your father knew, that eventually you would grow up, and wish to become a knight, like his father and grandfather before him. He just didn't think you were ready yet. Now that you are at Garreg Mach, the money we saved up is yours. Alongside it, is a small gift from your little sister. She's anxious to see you again but has been far too busy to write to you._

_I hope you get better soon sweetheart… I know you'll pull through. And Rhea, if you are reading this letter, please take care of my son. I will be forever grateful to you and the Church of Seiros if you do. Thank you._

_-Yuliana Ernest." _

The green-haired lad reread the letter, making sure he hadn't missed anything. When he confirmed that he had read everything in the letter, he frowned. He folded the parchment in half, handing it to Lady Rhea, looking directly at the box that was on her desk. He sighed, glancing back at the Archbishop with a look of sadness on his face.

"You may read that if you wish. It seems there's been another death in the family, my grandmother passed away half a month ago."

"You have my condolences Maximus. It seems tragedy keeps afflicting you greatly. I'm certain things will get better soon," she said softly. He nodded, not taking his focus off the box. He grabbed a hold of it, flicking the latch, pulling it open. His eyes focused on the medium-sized pouch that rested inside.

"Mother said that she and my father had been saving money for my expenses here. I guess this is it." Max said, grabbing a hold of the silver-colored bag. He pulled it open, eyes widening as he peered inside. He pulled out a single coin, seeing the Crest of Seiros etched on the back. "This is… one platinum coin. There are about 100 Platinum coins here."

"Oh my… each of those coins is worth about 1,000 Gold coins. That means you have 100,000 gold coins worth of platinum in that pouch. They must have been saving this for quite a long time." Lady Rhea said, surprised by her former Knight's generosity. He placed the coin back into the pouch, pulling the draw string until it was closed.

"I guess I won't have to worry about clothes, food or getting custom armor anymore. Would you mind holding onto that for me? I'm afraid I have an awful track record with money. The last time I was allowed to carry that many platinum coins, I ended up buying something stupid." he admitted, rubbing his neck. She quirked a brow, silently inquiring about what he had bought. He sighed, flushing. "Seeds… I bought these seeds from this guy who said I could make flying fish if I tossed them in the water. I was thirteen alright? How was I supposed to know I was getting swindled?"

The woman held back a giggle. "Worry not, I shall handle your money for you. In fact, I'll contact an armor smith as well. If you want to be a knight then you'll have to have armor that'll suit your needs. Any specifications?"

"Oh um… light armor I guess? I like to have some freedom of movement. I was never a fan of the heavy armor. I kind of want it to be like Sir Maximus's Armor actually. He was famous for using light armor with a speed enhancement spell to vanquish foes before they could even draw their blades. I even heard he taught Seiros how to fist fight." he said, sounding rather excited.

"My, you truly do know a lot about him don't you?" the woman asked, holding back a laugh. "Alright, Light armor it is. I'll be sure to tell the smith that. By the time you return from your objective, they should be here to take your measurements. I wish you luck out there Max."

"Thank you, Lady Rhea. I'll try not to get run through with a sword again. I would rather keep my blood in my body this time. And well, I would prefer you to keep your blood in your body as well, hehe."

"That would be ideal for both of us, yes," she replied. The young man grabbed a hold of the other pouch, peering inside.

"Sweet! My sister sent me some Elixirs, these will definitely help me out in battle. Well I better not keep my classmates waiting. Thank you ever so much, Lady Rhea!" he said happily, placing the small vials in his pockets. Rhea watched him go, a small smile on her face.

"_He takes a lot after his father. He was always so excited whenever he was refitted with new armor. If you could see your son now Marshall, I'm sure you would be proud of the man he's starting to become."_

* * *

"_Ah geez, I hope I'm not late! Here I am, choosing to get up before everyone else just to be ready and I'm still fucking late!" _Max exclaimed in his mind as he ran to meet with the others. Thankfully, he made it to the stables, just as Professor Byleth was about to take attendance. He slowed to a stop, standing at the end of the row next to Marianne, panting a bit from his run. The professor gave him one look, shrugging as she looked at her clipboard.

"Alright, you are all here. Good. Now then, this mission isn't a particularly challenging one. The Scouts have reported a settlement 8 miles from Garreg Mach Castle Town. Our objective is to disband this group threatening the life of the archbishop. Deadly force has been authorized, but if you can secure a few living bodies, please do so. We would like to track down their leader so we can, hopefully, take down the entire organization."

"Not only that, we have reason to believe these guys are in cahoots with the bastards that attacked Roscoe Village. If we can get information on them, that would be great. Nonetheless, if you have to kill them, then to do. Put your life before theirs." Claude said firmly, earning nods from the others.

"As always, we will be accompanied by a platoon of knights and cavaliers. We don't expect them to be powerful, but these guys are extremely crafty. If anybody has any questions, feel free to ask now. If not, then get ready to march."

The Professor stepped to the side as the students moved about, gathering weapons and other things they may need for the fight. As Max had prepared, he didn't need to waste time looking through the amassed weapons. He noticed Lorenz heading into one of the stables, having briefly spoken with one of the squires nearby.

"_He's probably getting a horse. I've always wanted to get some mounted combat practice. Maybe I can talk to the Professor about that," _he thought, eyeing some of the horses that were nearby.

"Hi Max, are you busy?"

The boy was pulled out of his thoughts, giving Lysithea a small smile. He shook his head, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Hello Lysithea, is something the matter?"

"No, Claude usually assigns partners when we go out on missions. Nowi was paired up with Marianne, so he asked me to pair up with you. I hope that's alright."

"I don't mind at all, it gives us a chance to get to know each other. My father always said, the greatest friends are those you make on the battlefield." he said, looking up at the sky. He cleared his throat for a moment, glancing back at the white-haired girl. "So uh… you're a mage right?"

"Mhmm. I've been practicing magic for most of my life, I came here to Garreg Mach so that I could hone my skills." she said, a look of pride on her face.

"I see. You and my little sister are a lot a like you know," he said. Her mood soured a bit, a slight scowl on her face. Sensing her mood shift, he continued speaking. "What I mean to say is, you and her share the same affinity for magic. Our mother was part of the Kingdom Army, she started off as a Troubadour, and became known in the army for her magical prowess. She was given the title "The Shimmering Valkyrie" due to her kind personality and ability to heal all manner of injuries. But just as fast as she could heal you, she could strike you down with powerful lightning magic. In fact, that seemed to be her specialty. She always talked about her time in the army, it inspired my sister to pick up a book and start practicing."

"The Shimmering Valkyrie is your mother? I've heard about her before. She was involved with the commoner who saved the Holy Kingdom during the plague 20 years ago. She was only 20 years old at the time, but she became a famous healer! Not only that, the stories say that she can decimate an entire forest with a single Bolganone spell! I would love to meet her in the future!" the girl said, a starry-eyed look on her face. Max chuckled dryly, glancing away.

"Uh… sure. I'll get her to meet you, she's got some business to handle in Fhirdhiad. I'll let you know when she's around so you can get her autograph or something."

Before she could reply, Professor Byleth gave the order, making the Golden Deer fall in line. Thankfully, their class was in a small group surrounded by some foot soldiers and cavalrymen.

The march wasn't as exciting as Max was expecting. In fact, he could compare it to a day of tilling the fields back in Roscoe. The sun was shining, the skies were blue, the birds were singing, and most of all, it was hot. It wasn't a nice summer heat, it was a sweltering heat that made it unbearable to walk. A few of the knights were complaining about their feet an hour into the walk. For Max, 8 miles wasn't that bad. He had walked twice that distance before and he hadn't gotten tired. Of course, it wasn't the middle of the summer when he did that so the heat wasn't a factor. It was at times like these that he was glad to have chosen light armor.

"Ugh… I should have faked sick today," a familiar voice mumbled. Max shifted his gaze toward his fellow classmate Hilda, who was clearly not prepared for the heat.

"You know, my dad would kick my ass if he heard me say something like that." he quipped, grabbing her attention. "If I tried to skip out on work, well let's just say I would have much more than picking up horse shit for an entire week."

"How can you do it? Just get up at 5 in the morning and work for twelve straight hours? I would not be able to do that. I can barely get up at 9."

"When you live in a village as remote as I did, with so few people, you kind of have to do it. It's a huge responsibility, especially when only 10 of the young adults are fully capable men. I've been working in the fields since I was 14, would have started earlier if my mother had let me. It sucked at first, but I got used to it," he admitted, shrugging his shoulders. He took a swig of water from his canteen before continuing.

"It's a huge responsibility, but the reward is much greater. We grow a lot of wheat, half of that goes onto the market. The other half goes to the mill where it gets ground into flour, the old bakers make bread, which they sell to traveling merchants. All of the people who work the fields get free bread, so you get to eat another day. It's a nice little circle that I enjoyed being a part of."

"I don't think I could handle doing something like that… I don't like having too much responsibility put on my shoulders," she replied. "I don't know how you were able to plant wheat, grow fruits and vegetables, pick them, sell them and all that jazz. It's not my cup of tea." He gave her a nod, looking ahead for a few moments as he gathered his thoughts.

"It isn't about the responsibility you know. I was only responsible for the wheat crops since my folks bought some of the land. Most of the people in the village are either elders or kids. It's just a courtesy. If you help with the crops, then you get some of the crops. We were a small community, but we held to that philosophy. A person who doesn't plant anything in the spring doesn't reap the reward in the fall. The town baker told me that one… she was killed in that attack. She was such a sweet woman, I regret not getting that bread recipe out of her when she was alive," he said sadly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to dredge up old memories."

"Don't be sorry, don't ever be sorry," he said, shrugging it off. "It sucks, but it happened and I can't change the past. Nonetheless, I can at least enrich your future." he continued, a look of excitement on his face. Hilda's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Uh… what do you mean by that?"

"When we get back to the monastery, I'm going to teach you the joys of farming!"

"What?" she asked in a flat tone. Max gave her a grin.

"You got some very pretty hands, Hilda, hands that I'm certain are strong and nimble," he said. The others by now had caught some of the conversation and were listening with rapt attention. Claude was struggling to look forward and backward at the same time while the professor had a smirk on her face. "Those hands have to be put to work! So when we get back, I'll be waking you up at exactly 5 am. We'll be going to the Green House and we'll be planting some vegetables. It'll be fun!"

"Yeah… no. I'm not going to do that."

"Oh but Hilda, you have such pretty hands." Claude chimed in, trying to hold back his laughter. "It would be a shame for them not to be put to good use."

"Not to mention growing vegetables is an easy task! You could bring in more delicious food for the cooks to make awesome dishes!" Raphael piped up, a grin on his face. "You get to put your hands to work, I get delicious food. I see this as an absolute win!"

"As do I. So I'll make it an official class assignment between the two of you. Max and Hilda, the two of you will have to plant, cultivate and harvest two baskets of fruits and vegetables and then sell them in the market when they are ready. If you do this, you will both pass this assignment with an A+. I will also allow Max to dictate how this project is handled." Byleth said firmly, making Hilda's jaw drop. She turned to Max who gave her a small smile.

"I hate you."

"It's okay Hilda, I'll give you a manicure every time we plant new seeds, the last thing I want is for your hands to lose their luster," he replied, giving her a wink. The pink haired axe-wielder picked up the pace, grumbling under her breath.

"Hey Max, is there anything I could do? I have very pretty hands too."

"Piss off, Claude."

* * *

"This isn't good... This is not good at all," the brown-haired house leader mumbled as he looked around the dirt path. All around him, there were broken pieces of weapons, swords, shields and other merchandise. There was an abandoned cart that had been turned onto its side, various crates being left on the road side. It had been a part of a small caravan of travelers, the two other carts were in the same state. The worst part was the bodies that littered the ground.

Max had seen a lot of deceased bodies in the past. He had experience taking down bandits and other people who dared to attack his village. But this was the first time he had seen something like this. These people had been left abandoned, for what looked like days in the summer sun. the stench of death lingered in the area, a dank, pungent smell that he doubted he could ever forget. With every breath he took, he felt the urge to vomit. A few of the knights that had accompanied them were already passed the point of vomiting and had been trying to reassess the situation. For safety reasons, Professor Byleth had decided not to take the full detainment, telling one of the commanders to be on standby just in case they needed reinforcements. He knelt down next to one of the bodies, looking through the pockets for a moment to see if he could find some identification on him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lysithea cried, eyes widening in surprise. "Don't you know it's rude to do something like that? Especially to someone who died so brutally?"

"I'm searching for some form of ID. This person was someone's friend, a brother, a husband, a son. The least we can do is find their relatives and let them know what happened here." he replied, a hint of seriousness in his voice. "And if we can, find the motherfuckers who killed them all. I'm personally going to drive a sword through their fucking guts."

Her face paled but decided not to impede his search. The others did the same, those that didn't want to were allowed to abstain from the search. In the end, they didn't find much information. The Professor was standing off to the side of the road, looking at what little documents had been found. Claude stood beside her, reviewing everything, a frown on his face.

"These merchants are well known in Deirdru. They travel all over Alliance territory delivering their goods, I'm not taking this laying down. Professor, we need to do something about this."

"I agree, these attacks on merchants cannot be allowed to continue. Without knowing when these attacks happened though, we cannot know where the attackers are," she said with a sigh.

While the two continued talking, Max and Lysithea continue searching the area. He took notice of all of the carts that were part of the caravan. He noticed a crate of medical supplies was completely empty, save a couple of bottles of Vulnerary that were left behind. A few of the weapons were also gone, being replaced with cheap equipment and worn out blades. It was clear what had happened here. These thieves had likely tracked down this caravan, realized what they were carrying, and had ambushed them. They took all of their medicine, weapons, and money and made off like bandits. His suspicions were confirmed when he found a leatherbound journal on the side of the road, a few meters away from the lead cart.

"Find anything interesting?" his partner asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"Yeah, looks like the owner of this caravan was aware of thieves being in the area. There's a day to day journal of their journey." he paused for a moment, flipping through some of the recent pages. "It seems as if they were heading out of Goneril and into Ordelia, with plans to stop in Garreg Mach Castle Town to unload a shipment of weapons and medical supplies."

"So they stole stuff from the monastery? That's a big no-no." Leonie said as she approached the two. "All weapons and medical supplies are protected by the Church and the Roundtable. It's an agreement that the Merchants association drafted between the Church of Seiros, the Alliance, the Kingdom, and the Empire. All of this is protected by the government."

"They probably felt a bit bold attacking these guys. They even left behind their cheap weapons, taking all of the new ones with them. These guys are armed and highly dangerous. Going by this inventory list, they have some very strong weapons. Killer Axes, Brave Lances, Silver Swords, and even a Blessed Bow. Guess they stopped at the Western Church while they were passing through,"

"This is horrible!" Ignatz suddenly cried, a look of anguish on his face. "I know these guys… they're close friends with my family. They've been in the business for nearly my entire life. How can someone do something like this?"

"These bastards just made this personal. We have to find them quickly, before they get too far!" Raphael added, cracking his knuckles. Lorenz sighed, brushing his hair back.

"We cannot simply mount an attack. Max just confirmed that these men are heavily armed, and have medical and healing supplies. That makes them much more dangerous than they were before. They probably took everything they could and sold it off already,"

"That makes a lot of sense. May as well huff the stolen stuff in the nearest town and make some pocket money out of it." Claude said, sighing.

"Um… they couldn't have gotten far." Marianne piped up, a nervous look on her face. "T-these bodies aren't that old. A few days at most. D-due to the heatwave in the area, the human body decomposes faster than normal. In about 20 days, it would be fully skeletal."

"That's right. But how can we determine how long it's been?" Byleth asked. Nowi cleared her throat, turning to face the others.

"It's been about four days. My friend taught me about this, we faced a lot of stuff like this when we traveled through Plegia. See how discolored the flesh is on the bottom of their hands and backs? That means all of the blood has settled into those areas. Their faces are unrecognizable. 4 days of the hot sun beating on them will dry out their skin. They're late into the second stage of decomposition." she replied, a frown on her face. "Like Mari said, in 15 days, these bodies would just be skeletons. Not to mention the local wild life would likely feast on whatever they could."

"That's disgusting!" Hilda explained a look of abject horror on her face. "I can't believe someone could do something so horrible!"

"I'm afraid that's the world we live in Hilda. Good people die on a daily basis, all because some bastards think they can make a quick buck. This time though, they have messed with the wrong people." Max said, holding a photo out to his classmates. The photo was of the caravan members, all of them smiling brightly, and in the center was a red haired young woman, one he recognized from previous meetings. "The leader of this caravan is a young lady named Anna. She's one of the best merchants I've ever met and made a habit of traveling through Roscoe in the late spring and early autumn. If there is one thing she hates, it's people who attack her friends, family and those who steal her money."

"Is she a good fighter?" Professor Byleth asked curiously, as she looked at the picture. Max gave her a nod.

"One of the best I've seen. If she managed to get away, then she likely went after these thieves, meaning she left clues out here for whoever stumbled upon this. She talked to me about this once, she would always carve arrows on trees pointing toward the direction she would be heading in. Every 3rd tree would have this mark. If she made it out and she left those behind, it'll lead us to those bastards."

"Every third tree huh?" Hilda mumbled, looking around for a moment. She spotted some markings on a nearby tree. "Look at that! It's just like Max said, there's an arrow on that tree!"

"Then we should follow them. I shall speak with the commander and let them know we'll be pursuing this Anna girl. I will lead the Golden Deer House as a small group and search for these thieves. Be prepared to fight, and stay vigilant while I return." the professor said, hastily taking her leave.

"So uh… this Anna girl, is she seriously a good fighter?" Claude asked, directing his question at Max, who was examining his sword. He gave him a nod, quickly sheathing it.

"She is. She even gave my old man a run for his money, in a figurative sense and a literal one. If she has a sword and a couple of vulneraries, she can hold out long enough to get revenge." he said, trying to sound reassuring. Lorenz caught his shift in attitude and was quick to point it out.

"You don't seem sure of yourself. Are you sure we can trust her skill?" he asked, earning a frown from the green-haired man.

"I'm not sure. I trust in her skills, yes, but we don't know how many thieves are out there. She's a good fighter, but one woman against a band a thieves isn't going to go well. Which is why we need to find her and fast." Max replied, glancing back at the destroyed carts. A few of the knights that had come with them had already started gathering the bodies, covering them with a tarp to at least show a bit of respect. "All we can do is pray and hope she's okay. She's a tough woman, I'm sure she'll be fine."

Max remained silent, quietly hoping the goddess would answer his prayers.

* * *

_**xxx(End of Chapter 4)xxx**_

**Gained Supports-**

**Golden Deer House: **

**F!Byleth:**

**Claude:**

**Nowi: C**

**Raphael:**

**Lysithea:**

**Leonie:**

**Ignatz:**

**Hilda:**

**Marianne:**

**Lorenz:**

* * *

**Church of Seiros: **

**Rhea:**

**Seteth:**

**Flayn: C**

**Hanneman:**

**Manuela:**

**?:**

**?:**

**?:**

* * *

**Blue Lion House:**

**Harper: C**

* * *

**Black Eagle House: **

* * *

**A/N: Well this is chapter 4! I hope you all enjoyed it. Chapter 5 is already complete, but I won't be posting it until I finish writing Chapter 6, which will mark the end of the first arc of the story. We'll finally be moving on to other events, and MAx is sure to meet some other people in the Blue Lion and the Black Eagle houses. I'm quite excited to start writing The Battle of the Eagle and Lion, it's one of the highlights in the first part of the game, along with the Ball and various other events, but I wanna have my own take on the battle, it will be an important one after all.**

**It won't be long until we reach the War Phase of the story, at least I hope. I speak of this as if it were to happen in the next chapter or two, but it probably won't be happening any time soon. I'm just excited to get to that part, since I've got various ideas for the war itself. Anyway, I don't want to ramble. I'll be working on the Chapter 6 soon, just as soon as I finish playing Pokemon Dumpster Fire. See you all later!**


	5. Chapter 5: A Merchant's Revenge

**A True Knight of Seiros**

**Part I**

**White Clouds**

**Chapter 5**

**A Merchant's Revenge**

Max was beginning to grow impatient, his mood shifting between worry and anxiety as he waited for Byleth to return. Before he could take off on his own, she finally returned, giving the Golden Deer the go ahead to start searching. Now that he was able to search, he started looking around for signs of Anna. He traced the tip of his finger over the arrow, the sap was dry, and it was clear that it had been days since it had been made. As per the instructions she had given him, all of those years ago, he walked forward, taking note of the trees. Just as she had said, every 3rd tree had an arrow carved into it. He looked at the ground, spotting bloody footprints and mud all over the place. His eyes scanned the area ahead, remaining silent for a moment before looking back at his friends.

"She definitely came through here, and so did the thieves. There are bloody footprints all over the place," he said.

"This girl is insane. Going after a group of killers all on her own, I don't know if that's smart of stupid." Raphael said, as he examined the footprints. Lorenz scoffed, brushing some dirt from his shirt, taking the time to fix his flower pin.

"Of course she's stupid. What kind of person decides it's a fantastic idea to go after a group of armed men and women, who just killed everyone you know and stole your merchandise, all on their own?" he asked, shaking his head. "Honestly, this has to be the most idiodic thing anyone can think of doing."

"Lorenz, you don't know Anna well enough to say something like that about her," Ignatz said, sounding rather annoyed. He had his bow in his hands, having already set an arrow into it. "Sure, her prices can be outrageous, and there are a lot of things about her that don't rub me the right way. But she isn't an idiot, those people on the side of the road were her friends and family. People she's been working with since she was ten years old. She may be young, but she knows what she's doing."

"I gotta agree with Ignatz. I've met Anna countless times before, in Roscoe, in Fhirdiad and in Enbarr. She's peppy, upbeat and loves money. Even still, she's a good person. She sticks to her code, and if that code is threatened, she will collect." Max said firmly.

"We should be careful," Marianne said softly, a nervous look on her face. "They could spring at us from any direction. We wouldn't want to be taken by surprise."

"Don't worry Mari! I got your six covered!" Nowi said happily, gesturing to the tome in her hands. "If anyone shows up, I'll zap them with an Arc Thunder! They won't even have time to react!"

"Where did you get that Arc Thunder tome?" Lysithea asked, eyes narrowed. She noticed something at the corner of it, making her gasp. "Hey that's mine! How did you get that?"

"Uh… I borrowed it from your desk?"

"You can't just take things that don't belong to you! Especially a precious text like that, Arc Thunder tomes are very expensive to make. I expect you to return it to me after this mission is over!" she exclaimed. Nowi gave her a wink, flashing a grin and a peace sign at the white haired mage.

"You got it Lys! I'll give it back to you lickety-split!"

The group marched in mostly silence, as they continued tracking Anna and the thieves. The woods were growing thicker the deeper they went in, but the arrows kept pointing ahead. Professor Byleth had a look of concern on her otherwise neutral face. Max noticed she had a hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. He briefly remembered seeing her fight, a few years back when her father's mercenaries had passed through Roscoe. He briefly wondered how much stronger she had gotten in that time. Have sensed his presence, the woman turned to look at him, making him almost trip.

"Are you alright?" she asked, voice smooth and emotionless. It was as if he was talking to a sentient doll. The professor's attitude had bothered him a bit from the moment he had met her. He had never seen her smile, or look angry or annoyed. She did make smug remarks from time to time, but aside from that, she didn't really show much emotion. It was rather odd to see a person acting like that.

"Yes, I'm okay." he replied hastily. He was quick to match her pace, looking at the trees, making sure the arrows were all visible. "I was just curious about something."

"You are wondering if I've improved in swordplay since the last time we met."

"Dear Goddess, are you a mind reader?" he asked, becoming pale faced at her reply. She shook her head, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"I'm just good at reading faces. Being a mercenary for such a long time gives you a certain set of skills. You need to be able to read your opponent as well as your client. There were many times where we were hired to take care of bandits, but the bandits were innocent people. The clients were the ones that were the aggressors. Thankfully, we had good scouts who got all of the information straight before we did a job."

"Was it hard?" Max asked, the look on her face begged for him to elaborate. He looked away briefly, not meeting eyes with the woman. "Having to kill I mean."

"Oh… no not really. You tend to get used to it after a while. The first time I had to kill, I was about 12 years old. My father started teaching me self defence techniques when I was a little girl. It was time for me to move onto swords, so he bought me one in a remote village and started teaching me. The cuts were awful if you were curious."

"Hehe… I think I'm used to those sorts of cuts." he admitted, rubbing his neck. "What's up with former knights teaching people to fight with sharpened weapons?"

"I'm not sure. Something about being able to dodge faster when the sword can actually kill you. At least it wasn't an axe, I'm sure I would have lost my head if it had been," she said firmly. Max shuddered a bit, holding back the urge to sigh. She cleared her throat. "My apologies, I forgot you didn't like those particular weapons."

"I can't be scared of them my entire life," he mumbled under his breath. "I'd like to move on from that, if I'm being honest. I'm just scared I'll lock up in battle when I see an axe or something,"

"Hmm… you know, the same thing happened to me when I was young. I've… had a hard time showing emotion my entire life. I grew a bit fearful of daggers after a run in with some thieves." she said, placing a hand on her stomach, near her exposed navel. "If it hadn't been for my own quick thinking, I likely would have died. I still have the scar, and it's taught me to be vigilant. It's why I couldn't turn this mission down, and well… let's just say I've had my fair share of run-ins with axes in the past."

"What… did you get attacked by one or something?" the boy asked curiously. She gave him a nod.

"I have this… skill. It's a special skill that allows me to see things that might happen in the future. It uh… helped me avoid certain death." Byleth replied, earning a look of confusion from the young boy. "It's hard to explain."

"Right, sure." he said, dismissing what the woman had said. She shrugged, deciding not to continue speaking about it. "So, your dad started training you young?"

"Yes. He said the faster I learned to fight, the faster I could start learning the family trade. We don't like killing people, but it pays well and keeps bandits and thieves from killing innocents. I, like you, was unaware that he was a former Knight of Seiros, the captain of the Knights at that." She said, sweeping some hair out of her eyes. She cleared her throat, adopting a more curious look. "I have a question for you."

"Okay, feel free to ask." he said in an encouraging tone.

"Do you remember our first meeting?" she asked. He tilted his head, eyes narrowed in thought.

"It was when I was fourteen. There were some bandits in the area as well, I remember the village elders had contacted your group personally. You were about 17 then weren't you?"

"Perhaps, loathed as I am to admit it, I don't exactly know my own age. My father was secretive about that part of my life. Regardless of that, I believe the two of us spoke briefly. I'm trying to recall the conversation, but I don't think I remember it."

"I don't either." Max said, frowning. He glanced at the ground for a moment in thought, eyeing her leggings. His nose scrounged up for a moment, before looking into her eyes. "Actually, I think I ragged on your leggings back then. They uh… they look awful."

"Oh? I thought you liked them." Byleth said, taking a quick glance at the article of clothing she was wearing. She tugged on her shorts a bit, holding back a slight flush. This was the first time he had actually seen this emotion on her face. It was rather odd, but quite welcome.

"Sorry Professor, they're absolutely horrid." he said softly. "But… I like the rest of the outfit, especially the coat. It looks cool! Not just that, I actually find your armor really attractive. It looks light, easy to wear and comfortable. I'm in the market for light armor, so I might go with something akin to what you are wearing."

"I see… well, I wish you luck on that Max. I wish to assess your skills with a sword in the coming day. Especially because our next mission involves protecting the Archbishop. We cannot let anyone get through our guard."

"Right. I'll make sure to keep practicing… just as long as I don't spar against any axe wielders." he said. He took a deep breath, about to say something else when his eyes widened. Byleth looked at him with a look of curiosity, wondering if something was wrong. He shook his head slightly, his voice becoming a bit rough. "You smell like the Fell Star."

"I'm… I'm sorry?" she asked. Max cringed in pain, rubbing his temple for a moment.

"I'm sorry Professor, I have no idea where that came from. Ever since I manifested my Crest, I've felt a bit weird. All of last night, I felt really hot. Then there was…" he paused, noticing hoofprints on the ground, long dried from the heat. He knelt down before the tracks, looking ahead. "We'll continue this conversation later. It looks like we're getting closer."

"Right. Let's tread carefully, then." Byleth said. Max nodded, and decided to go back to Claude to relay the information to him. Byleth watched him go, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"_That was certainly random. It's like something else took over him," _

"**You are telling me. The look on his face was scary, it was as if he was looking directly into your soul." **the voice in her head said, making her shudder. "**There is something off about that boy. You should keep an eye on him." **

"_Of course. I'll be sure to keep a very close eye on him." _Byleth replied, closing her eyes for a moment. "_Sothis… what's a 'Fell Star'?" _

"**I haven't the foggiest idea. Perhaps someone back at the monastery knows what that is. For now, let us focus on the mission ahead of us. We need to take care of those Thieves, before they attack the Archbishop and the church." **

Byleth nodded, keen on seeing this mission through to the end.

**Max and Byleth have reached C Support**

* * *

"_When I get my hands on the leader of these bastards, I am going to cut his head clean off his fucking shoulders. I swear to the Goddess." _she hissed in her mind, as she continued moving through the brush.

She had been tracking these thieves for a few days now, three or four given how many times she had slept outside. She was hungry, she was tired and most of all, she was losing money. And when she lost money, she was a very, very angry woman. Getting revenge for her fellow merchants was on the forefront of her mind, along with finding the bastard that had taken her back of precious coins.

Anna did have a heart, and it usually skipped a beat when money was involved. But she had killed her friends, her business partners. The reason she was able to make six figures on any given month. For that, they needed to pay. She waited for a few moments before deciding it was time to move. She paused by a nearby tree, drawing her dagger from her hip, etching an arrow into it. Anyone who knew her would instantly recognize what that meant and would hopefully find her. Eventually, the Knights of Seiros could come searching, especially if they came across her caravan. She really didn't want to think of that. Her friends had been taken by surprise, and she only had moments to hide while those thieves pillaged the carts. She squeezed the dagger in her hand tightly, already imagining the blade soaked in the blood of her enemies.

"_When did I grow this sadistic? No wait… I've always been like this. Time is money and right now, I'm wasting both." _she said, as she started moving forward.

Her normally pristine looking outfit was torn in places and covered in dirt. Her shirt, which had left her shoulders exposed was full of holes from the shrubs and trees she had been hiding in. Due to its wide collar design, her shoulders had gotten a nasty sunburn. Her neck was covered in scratches, dirt and bug bites, and she was sure her rosy red hair was matted and covered in dirt, and the smell… she smelled awful. Not like the usual primrose she dearly loved.

Oh, they were going to pay for this, with their lives.

She knelt down at the base of a tree, hiding her lithe body behind some shrubs. She brushed away the bugs buzzing in her ears, crimson eyes scanning the area for human life. She had heard some of the Thieves bragging about how they would never be found. Others were talking about meeting up with the Eastern Church members, for whatever reason. Some squabble or another that Anna wasn't aware of. Which was unusual, since she knew the goings-on all over Fodlan.

There they were, she had finally found them. They had made camp in what looked like some abandoned ruins. She didn't know if there had been a settlement there or not, but they looked old. The prospect of finding some precious ancient relics briefly crossed her mind, but she decided it was time to focus. She licked her dry lips, wishing she had grabbed one of her canteens before she had left. The heat was unbearable, but she was at least lucky enough to be in a shaded area of the forest.

The lead cart in her caravan had been taken, along with her two stallions. She had witnessed the Thieves stuffing all of the valuable items into that cart, filling it almost to the brim. She had wanted to follow the tracks of the wheels in the mud, but it had been so dry and dusty that it had been impossible. She had resorted to following the droplets of blood they left behind in order to keep track of them. She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her arm, cringing a bit.

"_Ugh… I really need a bath." _she hissed, holding back a sigh. She regained focus on her mission, and moved through the shrubs, being careful not to alert the thieves.

The cart was close to the entrance of the ruins, which looked to have been built on the side of a tall and rocky hill. The stone wall extended upward several hundred meters, with tall shelves that had some trees growing out of them. The ruins seemed to be made from stone blocks, and in their prime, would have likely been a sight to behold. She did spot some long faded gold markings on what had once been a pillar, but she couldn't make out what they were. The Thieves, quite a medium sized group, was hanging around the entrance, likely looking through the items they had just pilfered.

Anna waited for a moment with bated breath, hoping no one was looking in her direction. When she had an opening, she dashed forward hiding behind a rather tall looking pine tree. She darted back and forth, getting as close as she could without being seen, heart racing as she got closer and closer.

The cart was fully visible now. It had taken a bit of damage, but was still serviceable. Her horses were nearby, their reins tied to a nearby tree. A couple of men were digging through some crates inside the cart, rejoicing about the items they had just scored. A few others were tending to some deep-set injuries with the medical supplies they had stolen. She grit her teeth, her blood was boiling. That was her stuff they were digging through, that was _her _medical supplies and that was _her _money they were wasting. She held her anger, making sure she was ready for battle. She was going to make sure all of these bastards died for what they had done to her.

"We really hit the jackpot eh boss?" one of the men said suddenly, causing her ear to perk up. She straightened up a bit, twirling her dagger in her hand, ready to throw it if the need arose.

"Sure did, I new tracking those idiots would was a good idea. Had they made it to Garreg Mach, we would have had to stick with our old shit. Be thankful, all of you have good weapons now so you better take care of them." a gruff voice replied. This was accompanied by the jingling of coins. Anna strained her vision a bit, seeing a large man sitting on a broken stone slab with a large chest next to him. A chest filled with gold and platinum coins.

"They didn't stand a chance! It's just like you said, none of them knew how to fight worth shit!" another man said with a laugh.

"I dunno, that cute redhead was putting up a fight. Wonder whatever happened to her?"

"She probably died, one of us stabbed her I think. It's a real shame too," another man said, earning a scoff from a woman, seemingly the only one from the group. Anna noticed she was tending to a Pegasus, one who was wearing black armor of all things. She looked at him, eyes narrowed.

"Why is that?"

"I haven't been with a woman in years. That little redhead couldn't have been older than eighteen. Young girls like that are hard to come by, you know."

"See there, this is the reason no one is going to suck your dick Tom. because you are a misogynistic piece of shit." the woman fired back. "Tom" rose from his seat near the big man, glaring at the Pegasus Knight.

"I'm a piece of shit huh? You know, if you keep talking like that, I might just make you my woman. I like pretty little dolls like you."

Anna was holding back the urge to throw her dagger at the man. Thankfully, the woman beat her to the punch as she jerked her arm upward, a spray of crimson bathing her arm and chest. The man gagged in surprise as he grabbed his throat. It wasn't long before he fell to the ground dead. The "Boss" didn't even seem phased by this.

"Tch." she mumbled, spitting on the man's body. "Asshole."

"You know… for a former member of the Church, you have a lot of aggression in your system. Maybe getting laid is what you need, sister." the boss said firmly.

"With all due respect, I wouldn't dare to bring myself to fucking any of you disgusting swine. The only reason I stick around is because you idiots need someone with a sense of direction. We would be in Dagda if we let Martin take the lead."

"Oh come on, don't say that!" the man, Martin, whined causing the other men to laugh at his expense. The woman shrugged, and continued tending to her Pegasus, ignoring the fact her hand was soaked in blood.

"So boss, how are we going to split the winnings? Since Tom is dead, can I get his share?"

"My ass, if anyone is getting his share, it's me. The fucker owes me like, 5,000 gold!"

"Absolutely not, I'm the one that had to deal with his bullshit so I should get his cut." the woman said.

"_None of you are getting a fucking cut, because that money doesn't belong to any of you fucks!" _Anna thought. Oh how she wanted to scream this, but she wasn't going to risk giving her position away for something so petty.

Anna looked around for a moment, trying to see if she could get a better vantage point. She locked eyes with her horses, their reins having been tied to a nearby tree. This one was in a place that would be hard for her to be spotted. However, getting to it would be difficult, and she would definitely be seen. If she could release the horses, she could use them as a distraction and kill as many of the Thieves as she could. With less numbers, they would be easy to handle. But how, how would she do this?

Her eyes zeroed in on the ledge above her, following it, she noticed some of the tall branches on the pine tree could give her easy access. Not only that, the other tree was partially resting on it. She could use it as cover to get to her horses. Not only that, the Thieves were so distracted by their plunder that they wouldn't be likely to look at the trees. A plan in mind, the merchant started her scheme. She reached for her other dagger, stabbing both blades into the tree, using them to climb up the trunk. She sighed, shaking her head in annoyance.

"_I should start stocking deodorants in the future." _

* * *

The Golden Deer House had located the Thieves. By some stroke of luck, Nowi had hone in on their trail and had lead them exactly to where they were holding out. Max of course, knew the real reason she had been able to find them so easily. The others didn't know anything, so they assumed she was just good at tracking.

They had arrived at some abandoned ruins, in a sort of horse-shoe area of the forest. They had built this place on the side of what looked like a mountain, deep into a cliff face. Due to this, there was only one way into this clearing, and that was through a main path which had long since been abandoned. It looked as if a more recent path had been cut through the woods, leading them to this area. They spotted a cart, filled to the brim with stolen goods, along with some horses. Claude however had been keeping track of each Thief, and more importantly, what the lone Pegasus Knight was saying. The group had just seen her kill one of the men that had harassed her, without batting an eye. It was clear to them that these people didn't have a moral code, they only cared about one thing, and that was lining their pockets with cash.

"How are we going to handle this?" Hilda asked softly, directing her question toward the Professor. The woman remained silent, eyes narrowed in thought. She was looking around, taking count of how many enemies were around, but she wasn't entirely sure.

"I should have sent some scouts out here. It would be easier if we knew how many of them were out there."

"There can't be more than twelve." Claude said, a hint of seriousness in his voice. "Think about it, any less than that and they wouldn't be able to fight off the merchants. Anymore than that, and they can't move out fast enough. These guys don't look like regular thieves either."

"Assassins most likely," Max added, making sure his shield was firmly strapped to his arm. He groaned a bit, feeling slight pain from the areas Hanneman had drawn blood from. "These guys are dangerous, especially that Pegasus Knight."

"Nothing a few arrows can't solve." Leonie said, patting her quiver. She and Ignatz were ready to shoot if necessary. Claude was as well, having checked all of his arrows to make sure they were laced with paralyzing poison.

"Hmm… I have an idea. There's only one way in and out of this clearing correct?" Lorenz asked, earning a nod from Byleth. "Allow us to split up, we can use the trees as cover and box them in. Once their blocked in, we can attack them at our leisure."

"Sounds like a solid idea!" Raphael said, tightening his gauntlets. "Lemme at em! I'm starting to get hungry!"

"Shush!" Lysithea hissed, glaring at the man. "Do you want to advertise our location? Jeez!"

"Um… Max I have a question, can I use my stone?" Nowi asked. Max looked at her, eyes widening slightly. He shook his head, making her frown. "Aw… okay."

"What is she talking about?" the professor asked. Max shrugged, scanning the area. He struggled a bit, trying to get a good look around the clearing. There were three men sifting through the cart, one large man with a chest of coins sitting at a broken slab, the Pegasus Knight that was near the center of the clearing and various others.

He looked at the cliffs above the ruins, looking at the tree laden shelves thinking of a plan. That was when he noticed something else. A familiar head of red, currently climbing up a pine tree. He looked around the base of the tree the young woman was climbing, hearing the horses that were tied up a few trees down the line. He tapped Byleth's shoulder, pointing to the pine tree.

"Do you see her?" he asked softly. The blue haired woman strained her vision a bit, giving him a nod.

"I take it that's the Anna we are looking for?"

"Mhmm… her horses are tied up three trees down from that one. I think she's planning on cutting them loose, and using that as a distraction."

"Not a bad plan, she's quite sharp if she was able to come up with that." Claude said, smirking.

"How are we going to let her know we're here though? She probably thinks we're alone." Marianne asked softly. Max gave her a look, making her cringe. "I'm sorry, I should have stayed quiet."

"No no… you bring up a good point. We can't just wait until she sets them free, we need to coordinate this." he said, rubbing his chin. He snapped his fingers, reaching for his pocket. "I got an idea."

He pulled out the leather bound book he had salvaged. He opened it to a clean page, grabbing the pencil that was attached to the inside cover. He looked up at Lysithea who was giving him an odd look. "Turn around."

"What?"

"Just turn around okay?" he asked again. She sighed, understanding what he needed of her. She turned around, allowing the boy to use her back. He quickly wrote a note on the paper, tearing it out of the notebook a second later. "Ignatz, I need an arrow."

"Um… alright." the boy said, reaching into his quiver. He handed the arrow to Max, who rolled the note up, rolling it around the shaft of the arrow.

"Hilda, I need one of your hair ties."

"Absolutely not! I made these myself!"

"I'll pay you back for the materials, sheesh. Do you want these bastards to kill the archbishop?" he mumbled angrily. She sighed, reaching for her precious hair tie, pulling it loose. Thankfully, she still used a scrunchie to keep her hair tied up, so she didn't have to pull it down. It only took him a second, but he successfully tied the note to the arrow. Claude chuckled, a smirk on his face.

"Very nice. What better way to convey a message than shooting it at the recipient?"

"Me and Greg used to do this a lot when we were younger. Whenever we were on opposite sides of our wheat fields, we would shoot messages to the nearby trees. I'm not that good of a hunter, but I can at least shoot an arrow." he said, taking hold of Claude's steel bow. "Let's just hope she follows instructions."

Max paused for a moment as he saw Anna reached the shelf high above the pine tree. She climbed up to it, shimmying her way toward the other tree. She lowered herself onto a high branch, looking around for a moment. He waved his hand around, hoping she would see him. Thankfully, she did. He saw her look of annoyance shift into a grin as she waved back. He held the arrow up, pointing to the note before notching it into his bow.

He took a deep breath, drawing the arrow back. He cringed a bit from the draw weight. He had only practiced on an iron bow, not a steel one. The draw on an iron bow was of around 45 pounds, while steel bows were around 65 to 70 pounds. The draw had to be a bit harder in order to send those arrows flying with enough force to kill someone, or something. It was nothing he couldn't handle, especially with the newfound strength from his Major Crest of Seiros. He took aim at the tree trunk, taking a deep breath.

The black marking on the back of his hand started glowing brightly, his body swirling with energy as his crest activated. Becoming alarmed, he let go of the string, sending the arrow flying. Rather than hit the tree, he ended up hitting something else. Or rather someone.

Everyone watched in horror as Anna's body fell from the tree, slamming hard into the ground. The horses whinnied loudly, startling the Thieves who screamed in surprise. They all drew their weapons, with the boss shouting "To arms! We're being surrounded!"

"Nice going, dingus." Hilda mumbled, a look of shock and disappointment on her face. Max closed his eyes, his heart beating loudly in his chest. He felt sick, he felt like the world around him was swirling. He had killed Anna, and now the Thieves knew they were there. He had blown their cover and killed a friend.

He opened his eyes, about to apologize to Byleth, only to realize he was still holding the bow, arrow notched in place. He let out a small gasp, rapidly lowering the weapon. Had that really happened? Had he actually killed Anna or was it all just a dream? He looked around, seeing Anna still on the tree, waiting for him to deliver the message. He shared a look with Byleth, only for a moment before handing the bow to Claude.

"I don't trust myself with this, you do it."

The yellow clad man shrugged, accepting the bow Max handed him. He drew the string back with ease, letting the arrow fly. It found its mark, striking the trunk right next to Anna's hand. She grabbed a hold of the arrow and yanked it out, pulling the note that Max had written. She took a moment to read it, before giving them a thumbs up.

"What did you write in that note?" Nowi asked curiously, preparing her Arc Thunder tome. He smirked.

"I told her that we were boxing them in. I also told them that we would give her a signal for releasing the horses. We got about two minutes, I suggest we start moving." he said.

The were quickly split up into pairs, predetermined by Claude. Max and Lysithea knelt down at the best of a tree, behind the large man who was still counting coins. He drew his sword, keeping his blade aimed down, ready to strike. Lysithea was mumbling something under her breath, flipping through the pages of a tome.

"I'm going with a Miasma spell, it's a projectile attack. It should stun him long enough for you to strike him down," she said softly, looking up from her book. "Think you can handle that?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I can." he whispered back.

"Good, let's hope you can stand by those words," she replied. The moment the signal was given, Anna cut the horses loose, slapping their flanks as hard as she possibly could. Their loud whinnies were enough to startle the Thieves.

Lysthiea shot to her feet, a ball of dark swirling magic swirling in her palm. Her crest of Gloucester flashed brightly as she threw the spell forward, nailing the Boss square in the back. Max followed suit, growling in anger as he drove his blade through the man's back. He gagged in pain and surprise clutching his wound. Before he knew what was happening, Max ended his life.

"BOSS!" one of the men cried, running right at Max, sword at the ready. He let out a scream, swinging at the green haired boy. Max moved his arm in time, a loud clang filled his ears as his foe's weapon clashed with his shield. He pushed him back with ease, swinging his sword at him. The man countered, redirecting the blade. Max parried the attack, throwing slash after slash at the man, each met with resistance. "I'm not letting you get out of here alive!"

Max cringed in pain as he let his shield take the following hits. He managed to push the man back, making him stumble a bit on his feet. He spun on his heel, bashing him in the face with his shield, leaving him stunned and wide open to attack. He jumped back, allowing Lysithea to come in with a Miasma spell which struck him in the chest.

"I don't have time for this!" she exclaimed in anger. She cast a magic seal beneath his feet, summoning a swarm of dark magic that swirled around the man. He screamed in pain as the magic dug into his skin, tearing his flesh apart, killing him instantly.

"Nice work Lysithea!"

"Thank you. Let's keep going, we can't keep wasting time on these idiots!" she exclaimed, earning a nod from the boy, as they moved deeper into the fray.

"Ugh… stop moving kid!"

"As if I would let you hit me, haven't you ever been in a fight?" Nowi boasted, giggling as she ducked and dodged the man's axe swings. She placed her hand on the page, chanting some words under her breath. Her hand crackled with electrical energy, small bolts of lightning dancing around her finger tips. She gave the man a wink, as he tried to hit her again.

"Too slow!" she cried, throwing her hand into the air. "Arc Thunder!"

The axeman howled in pain as the searing bolt of lightning slammed down on him from above. He froze in place as the electricity raced across his body, muscles twitching and screaming in pain. Nowi reached behind her back, drawing the dagger she had brought along with her. She ran forward, shortening the distance between herself and the opponent. She thrust the blade through his ribcage with ease, giving it a firm twist. The man fell dead in seconds, muscles twitching involuntarily due to the electrical magic.

She turned around to check on Marianne who was busy healing Ignatz, who had been slashed by one of the Thieves. She locked eyes with another axeman, who was about to bring his axe down on her head. She flicked her wrist, throwing her dagger at the man, nailing him right in the eye. His body dropped down beside Marianne who let out a scream of surprise. Nowi sighed, cape fluttering slightly as she brushed her hair off her shoulder.

"Mari, you need to pay attention to your surroundings!" she scolded, looking rather annoyed.

"I-I'm sorry!"

"It's fine. I'll keep these guys away from you. There are a lot more of them than I thought." she said, preparing another Arc Thunder spell. She paused briefly to retrieve her dagger, flicking the blood off of the blade with ease.

Being locked in combat was nothing new to Anna. While she didn't exactly live for combat, like some people she had met in the past, she knew that it was necessary to survive. Case in point. The Pegasus Knight before her was a very imposing foe. Not only was she at an advantage, as she was flying off the ground, but she also had a spear, giving her a lot more reach. Her steel sword was practically useless. She regretted never learning any Reason Magic, though that would be useless as well due to her Pegasus and its natural affinity to counter magic. The knight lunged forward, causing her to guard against the attack, the spear just barely struck her sword, throwing her off balance. The woman smirked as she pulled on the reigns.

"You are the leader of that caravan aren't you? I figured you were following us. Skyla here could _smell _you a mile away. Goddamn you reek!"

"Tch, you think petty insults are going to anger me? I came here to slay each and every one of you. You stole my merchandise, you stole my weapons and killed my friends! But most of all, you fucks stole my money, and you are going to pay for that with your lives!"

The redhead ran forward, throwing a couple of slashes at the Pegasus, hoping to hit any exposed flesh under the armor. She whinnied loudly, batting her wings and stirring up some dirt, causing Anna to shield her eyes. The knight smirked as she twirled her spear, tugging on her reigns.

"This is where it ends!"

Anna closed her eyes, teeth grit in anger and fear. She didn't want to look at the weapon that was about to end her life. Her ear perked up at the sound of running. A loud clang filled her ears shortly before she was pushed back. Her eyes flew open, as a green-haired young man stood before her, blocking a would be mortal blow with his shield.

"Now Lysithea!" he cried. The white haired mage cracked her knuckles, quickly forming a dark ball of magic between her palms.

"Take this!"

The Pegasus Knight screamed in pain as the spell made contact with her side, causing her to fall to the ground. Her pegasus whinnied loudly, beating her wings and taking off into the sky. Still stunned, the woman managed to grab her spear, quickly rising to her feet. She spun her weapon around, swinging it in a wild arc to give herself some room. She grabbed a hold of her side, clutching her spear tightly in her grasp.

"Kids… trainees from Garreg Mach huh? So the archbishop sent a clean up crew to kill us? How cute."

"The archbishop sent us here to stop a gang of lowly thieves, but the second we ran into those dead merchants, we decided to change our mission. To exterminate the lot of you for killing innocents." Max said firmly, as he got into his battle stance. "How dare you, a member of the church, turn your back away from the ones you are supposed to be defending?"

"Tch… so she's roped another one into her faith," the woman mumbled, shaking her head. "Listen kid, you don't know jack fucking shit about the Church. You think they're all saints and that they're do gooders who serve the goddesses will and serve justice? Let me clue you in on something. You are being lied to! The Church is using you to do their misdeeds!"

"What are you talking about? The Church has done nothing but help all of Fodlan! In turn, people like you just kill and steal! You make me sick!" Lysithea cried, shaking in anger.

"Idiots." the woman said with a shake of her head. "I guess I'll just have to teach you myself!"

She let out a shout as she ran forward, swiping her spear at Lysithea, who did her best to dodge the attack. Max was quick to shorten the distance, using his shield to redirect the woman's spear. He took several swipes at the Knight, who used the shaft of her weapon to block each hit. She spun it around, thrusting it forward, slicing the boy's shoulder. He cringed in pain, struggling to hold his shield upright.

Anna was quick to counter, throwing several jabs at the Knight who blocked or dodged every hit. She swept Anna off her feet, knocking the wind out of her. She twirled her spear above her head, prepared to stab her spear through her eye socket, only for her to take a Miasma spell to the center of the chest. Max darted forward, thrusting his sword through the woman's chest, causing her to scream in pain. She dropped to her knees, clutching the blade that was rapidly pulled out of her body.

"Why do you follow the Church so blindly?" the woman wheezed, as she looked up at Max who had a frown on his face. "She's playing you for a fool. All of you… the Church of Seiros is nothing but a facet of lies. Rhea is nothing but a lying cunt!"

"That's enough!" Max growled at her. He lowered his blade, letting the blood drip into a small pool on the ground. "Say what you will about the church. I could care less. But don't ever say that about Lady Rhea. She has been nothing but nice to me, and saved my life. It's thanks to her that I am able to live and breathe."

"Fool...ack." the woman coughed loudly, clutching her wound tightly. "How can you… say something like that? W-when Lord Lonato's son… was wrongfully executed… for something he didn't do?"

"I don't care about either of those people. All I care about is getting back at you for what you did." Anna said, tightening her grip on her sword. "This is my own form of judgement. And I will collect every single coin you stole from me!"

With a single slash, the woman's life was ended. Her body fell forward, blood pooling around the ground. She was among the last few Thieves to be taken down by the Golden Deer. Max surveyed the area, seeing a few of his classmates fighting off some stragglers, though after a few more seconds, they were swiftly dealt with. He sighed, cleaning the blood from his sword with a handkerchief before sheathing it.

"I wasn't expecting to see you among the Knights of Seiros, Max." Anna said, after a moment of silence. Max turned to face her, giving her a small smile. "What's up with the funky hair color? Did you find a way to change it? Can I make money off of it?"

"First off, hello Anna, it's been awhile. Second, no, I didn't find a way to change it. It uh… it was magic. I don't know how to explain it in a coherent way, don't know all of the details myself if I'm being honest," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Anna gave him a scrutinizing look, but shrugged her shoulders.

"Whatever, I'll get the answer out of you one way or another. We should sweep the area, make sure all of these idiots are dealt with."

"Sure, let's do that. I'll talk to you soon!" he said happily. The woman nodded, moving straight to the cart of stolen goods, keen on assessing the damage.

"What do you think that woman was talking about?" Lysithea asked curiously, making Max look at her. "What she was talking about… she said the Archbishop was lying to us."

"I don't know… maybe she lost her faith?" he added, shrugging his shoulders. He cringed a bit, remembering the wound on his shoulder. "Gotta admit, the bitch got me good."

"Here, I'll help you." the white-haired mage said, rolling her eyes. She reached up to his shoulder, but managed only to reach the bottom of his collarbone. He bent down slightly, allowing her to fully assess the damage. Her noticed the blush on her cheeks.

"You know… there's nothing to be embarrassed about. You are young and still growing, I'm sure you'll be a lot taller by the time you are my age."

"Don't treat me like a child!"

"I'm not." he said, quirking a brow. "I'm acknowledging your age. You are the youngest student in the school right? That means you haven't fully matured yet, in body not in mind." he continued, ignoring the glare on her face. "Look, what I mean is… in time, you'll be very tall. Probably even taller than me!"

"I know what you meant." Lysithea said, sighing. "I know you aren't intentionally doing it. You at least acknowledge my intellect. Some of the others treat me like a little kid, and I don't particularly like it. I don't have a lot of time, you know, so I might not be able to experience a lot in life."

"Uh… what do you mean by that?" Max asked, confused by her words. She shook her head, her focus on his injury.

"I would rather not explain right now, I just met you and all." she admitted, looking away from his injury. "Buuut… if you make a conscious effort to stop treating me like a child henceforth, I may consider telling you."

"Sure. I'll stop treating you like a kid, but I also would like something from you." he said, making her tilt her head. "I would like for you to trust me. As a friend. I'm not sure what has happened to you, and I'm not trying to insert myself into your life. I've realized that I don't have a lot of friends left in the world. I wanna make new ones. I want you to tell me about yourself, only if you believe you can trust me. It's all I ask."

Lysithea remained silent, proceeding what he was saying. She reached for another tome, this one being white in color, completely different from the black tome she had been using before. "So… all you want from me is trust?"

"And friendship of course."

"That's an odd thing to ask for Max. Then again, after everything that you've been through, I wouldn't say you are a normal person. You are hurt… just like I-" she paused, shaking her head. "Let's take care of this injury, it isn't deep but some simple healing spells will suffice."

"Right-o Doc! Do your best to sew me up!"

Lysithea held back the urge to giggle as she sifted through her Faith Tome.

**Lysithea and Max have gained C support**

* * *

Max had been expecting Anna to assess the damage to her merchandise caused by the Thieves. He was not expecting her to grab a change of clothes and run toward a river she had passed earlier. She was gone for about half an hour before coming back, and it was as if she had become a new woman.

Her skin was glowing, her hair was neatly brushed and free of dirt, her clothes weren't ripped and most of all, she no longer '_Smelled like a horses ass in the middle of summer' _as she herself had put it. Now that she was clean, she had taken the time to fully assess everything. By now, the Knights of Seiros had taken the time to gather up all the bodies, placing them in a cart to transport them back. She was kneeling on her hands and knees, looking around for something in the cart, her backside poking out from the open end of the cart. Max tried his best not to look but found himself oddly entranced.

"First Hilda, and now this merchant girl? You sure know how to pick em kiddo!"

"Claude, I swear to the goddess!" the green-haired young man snapped, glaring at his house leader. "I am-"

"Staring at Anna's ass!" he cried out, causing the woman in question to look back at him. She gave him a smirk.

"You know Max, if you wanna come up close to stare at my ass, you can go ahead. You'll have to pay me 2,000 gold coins though,"

"I would rather use those two thousand gold coins to buy something useful." he admitted, earning a surprised look from Claude. Anna shrugged it off, seemingly not bothered by his statement. He sighed, shaking his head. "So, what's the sitch? How much of your stuff is damaged?"

"I lost about 40% of my stock. All of my medical equipment was used so there's nothing left of my shipment to Garreg Mach. The good news is that I managed to get all of the weapons they stole back, and managed to get some money they had stolen prior to attacking me. The bad news, all of my perishables were eaten, looks like they had a feast with all of my goods. At least the dried meat was left untouched, but all of my produce is completely gone. It'll cost me thousands to replace what they have taken."

"Worry not. I'm certain the Archbishop will replace everything you've lost and compensate you for your troubles. We will also do our best to give all of your friends a proper burial. Their bodies have already been placed in a cart headed back to the monastery," Professor Byleth said, earning a sigh from the woman.

"Those were good people. We've been through a lot of shit in the past. My mother and father left me in their care when I was young, and they taught me the trade. When I was old enough, they allowed me to take the lead, saying that my family was well known for being merchants. I wasn't expecting to lose them like this though," she said, wiping away a stray tear. "Thank you for coming to our rescue. Even if I'm the only one left, I'll make sure to carry their memories and their legacies."

"I would say we would get justice for your friends, but I think it's been very swiftly dealt. We'll gather your horses and help you get your things back to Garreg Mach, most of your other items have been collecting, overall some came out undamaged but others…" Claude looked away, earning a sigh from the merchant.

"It'll take me weeks just to get new items. I'll have to cut my losses and undersell what's left at a fraction of market value. I'm losing thousands, all thanks to these fucks!" the woman cried, slamming her fist into the side of the cart.

"At least you are alive, be thankful for that!" Max said happily. She nodded, finally jumping down to the ground.

"I'll be fine, I'm just happy I managed to get my revenge on them. You, however, owe me an explanation. Why are you with students of the Officers Academy when just this winter you were excited about wheat season?"

"Roscoe Village was attacked a few months back, we were hit pretty hard." the young man said with a sigh. "I lost my father during that attack, I've been at Garreg Mach ever since, I got severely hurt, almost died too."

"Oh Max, I'm so sorry to hear that," Anna said softly, bowing her head. "I was going to make my way through Roscoe after delivering these supplies to Garreg Mach. I had a supply of seeds that I was going to deliver to the villagers. I wasn't aware that something so horrible had happened."

"There have been a lot of Thieves and Bandits attacking small villages as of late. Even the professor here wasn't exempt from that. The first night we met we had to deal with bandits. It's as if the whole world is suddenly falling apart on itself," Claude said, shaking his head.

"We should prepare to head back to the monastery. Wait here, I'll gather the others and we'll start heading back." the professor said, giving the merchant a bow before leaving with Claude.

"She seems stiff."

"The professor is like that. I haven't really gotten to know her, aside from an odd conversation or two." Max said, watching the woman go. "She doesn't seem much older than I am and yet… she has this air of sophistication that I can't describe. She definitely wasn't like that the first time we met."

"Hmm." the redhead hummed, eyes narrowed. A small smile appeared on her face as she looked at the young lad. "Say Max, I got a small proposition for you. Since I'll need to sell these items at half price, I'll have to set up shop somewhere. I'll need a bit of help with that. How about it? Would you mind helping a cute girl like me set up shop at the monastery?"

"Will you pay me?"

"We're friends aren't we? Friends don't charge friends!"

"If that's the case then I'm not going to help you Anna. We've been friends for years, and you are one of Roscoe's most valued merchant traders, but I am not going to haul this stuff back to the monastery without getting compensated."

Anna's mood soured a bit. She knew she had to reel him in, and the only way she could do that was to pay him. She had just gotten her money back, and she wasn't keen on spending it right off the bat. Her eyes fell on the rack of weapons she had just gotten back. 10 swords, 10 axes, 10 spears, several daggers and various other small items in between. She walked over to the Steel swords, looking them over for a moment before grabbing one, along with a durable looking scabbard. She sheathed it and tossed it at the young man, who almost failed to catch it.

"There's your compensation, a steel sword. I got those smithed by the best people in Deirdru, you've already seen how sharp they are. That one is worth 3,000 Gold. Will it suffice?"

Max drew the sword partially, seeing the sun gleaming off the steel blade. It was razor sharp, and looked unused, unlike some of the others that he had seen among the weapons recovered. He fully drew it, swinging the blade around for a second. It was perfectly balanced, the blade sliced through the air with a hum, making him smile a bit. He sheathed the blade, giving the woman a nod.

"This will do. I appreciate it Anna, I'll help you set up shop but I am not helping you pedal this stuff to people. I don't exactly agree with your egregious business practices."

"That's fair, besides I'm certain you don't know anything about economics so helping me man the shop would lose me money instead of making it."

Max sighed, shaking his head. He decided not to reply. He could have told Anna that his mother had taught him everything he needed to know about economics, commerce, local trade laws and everything in between, as he would one day have to sell stuff in the Kingdom Capitol for Roscoe Village. But she had already been put through the wringer, he didn't want to upset her more than she already was.

* * *

It was late when everyone returned to Garreg Mach. The Golden Deer House had succeeded with their mission, and had gotten full marks for their participation in taking down the Thieving ring. Despite this, Max had been unable to rest. He had agreed to help Anna set up shop and that's what he did. Her stand was now at the far corner of the marketplace, near the entrance to the monastery proper. She was happily getting her crates ready, having cast an enchantment on them so no one could steal what was inside. Something she admitted that needed to be done the next time she was traveling. Once she was fully set up, she let out a happy cry, eyes gleaming in the setting sun.

"It's done! I'm all ready to start my shop here!"

"Congratulations Anna! I'm certain you'll make back all the money you lost in no time!" Max said, stretching his arms, rubbing his shoulders a bit. "What will you do after you sell all of this stuff though? Are you going to leave?"

"Hmm… I haven't decided yet. Setting shop here is beneficial though, since I get people coming and going. Not to mention I could sell directly to the Church. They always need weapons and I have connections. I can get anything they might need easily."

"That's true. You'll get a constant stream of revenue, besides, the monastery gets so many people that there are bound to be recommendations." he replied, popping his back. He sighed contently, looking up at the orange skies. "Did you speak with the archbishop? About your friends?"

She gave him a firm nod, glancing away from him. "She promised to give them a proper burial here at the monastery. We were traveling merchants, so we moved from place to place. Due to that, none of us had stable homes. We don't have family either, so no one would miss them. I'm… the only one left,"

Max gave the woman a hug, holding her tightly in his grasp. Out of everyone he had met up at the monastery, she was one of the few who he could understand. She had lost everyone in her family due to thieves, just like he had lost his village. "Everything will be fine. All you can do now is make sure they aren't forgotten."

"I know. I'll make sure to become the best merchant this side of Fodlan. It's the least I can do." she said, hugging him back. "Thank you Max, you're a good friend. I'm sorry about what happened to you, but I'm also happy that you are here."

"Hmm, if you are glad I'm here does that mean I get a discount?" he asked, once he pulled back from his hug. She gave him a grin.

"I'll give you a 2% discount on all my wares."

He sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, since I'm sticking around Garreg Mach, I'll try to join the monastery staff as a partner. Maybe I'll get some sort of deal if I offer them my services cheaper than what the travelers offer. I can double my profits with ease!"

"I'll put in a good word for you Anna. You've helped Roscoe out plenty of times, if I remember correctly, you sold my father all of the weapons we used. They helped us out until the very end."

"That's correct! The first iron sword I sold in Roscoe was for Marshall, I recall he gave it to you the day you turned 11. That was also the very first sale I made in Roscoe, it's one of my favorite memories. I got a lot of platinum from your folks." she said, making the boy roll his eyes.

"Well you'll be getting a lot more platinum soon enough." he said, giving her a smile. He checked his watch, realizing how late it was getting. "I have to go, it's almost dinner time and I'm sure the professor wants to debrief us. She's got a beefy report to write so she'll probably need witness statements from all of us."

"Go on then, I'll finish things up here. Thanks for your help Max, and for helping me get this stuff back. If you need medical supplies, weapons or other odd ends, I'll be sure to give you and the rest of the Golden Deer a good price. Maybe I'll lower my wares a bit more, just for you." she said with a wink. He gave he a wave, heading toward the Entrance Hall.

* * *

Max sighed as he found himself in the Northern Courtyard, staring at the Cathedral in the distance. The lights were shining brightly from within, and he was sure there was a service going on. Students were allowed to attend but it wasn't enforced. He had been curious about what went on during a service, as the ones back in Roscoe were a bit different. But after the long day he had, he just wanted to relax. The cool night air and the shining moonlight was enough to make him feel at ease.

He had been thinking a lot about the things that had happened today, mostly the vision he had seen as well as what the Pegasus Knight had said. The former was the more interesting of the two.

He was absolutely sure he had shot that arrow and nailed Anna right in the face. He still vividly remembered seeing her body dropping to the ground, alerting the thieves to their presence. He looked at the back of his hand, seeing the ever present Crest of Seiros on his skin. He traced it with his finger, frowning a bit.

"_Something weird is happening to me. Not only did I get this crest… but what I said to the Professor was uncalled for. I don't even know what the "Fell Star" even is. Then there's that vision… I'm certain I saw Anna die by my hand, all because of this crest activating. Maybe I should speak with someone about this." _he thought, looking up at the sky.

"Good evening Max, I wasn't expecting to see you out so late."

The boy jumped a bit at the voice, but relaxed when he realized it was just the archbishop. It was rather odd seeing her outside of the Audience Chamber. In fact, he believed she practically lived there. The only time he was certain she left, was when she had to attend services at the Church. He frowned, looking away from the woman.

"Is something the matter?"

"I-" he stopped, looking at the mark on his hand. "Lady Rhea… I've been feeling odd, ever since I got this." he showed her the back of his hand, and she remained silent. "Just today, I ended up seeing what looked like a vision of the future. Last night, I felt really weird too. And when I was talking with Professor Byleth today, I insulted her, saying that she 'Smelled like the Fell Star'. I don't even know what that means. It was so… involuntary too."

"The Fell Star?" the woman asked firmly.

"Yeah. I felt a bit sick after saying that to her, it hurt. But it wasn't anything I could control. Then there was me killing Anna. I saw it in my mind, I felt the snap of that string and saw her body plummet to the ground, but it didn't happen. It felt so real and yet…" he sighed, shaking his head, his eyes falling on the archbishop. "I shouldn't be bothering you with my problems."

"It's quite alright. I am here to assist all of our students. Not only that, as a future knight, I would like for you to trust me with your concerns." Rhea said, giving him a small smile. "I know things have been challenging for you these past few days, but you are doing admirably. You handled yourself in the field wonderfully. You worked well with your assigned partner, saved someone who needed help and took down those who would dare make an attempt at my life. For that, I will be forever thankful,"

"Aw shucks… I was just repaying the favor. You managed to save my life, so I have to do the same for you. I won't let anyone attack you!"

"I believe you, which is why I approved Professor Byleth's request. She took notice of your swordsmanship during your mission and recommended you for knight training with the other swordsmen. She would be teaching you personally, I was going to let Professor Jeritza teach you, as he is our official sword instructor. However, he claims to have other matters to attend to."

"Wait, are you serious?" he asked, a look of shock on his face. "I'm really going to be trained by the professor to become a knight?"

"Well, the process will be a lot longer, but yes. She will train you in swordsmanship, while the Commander will start giving you basic drills. By the time you graduate, you shall be ready to join the Order."

Max felt himself start to grin. He couldn't believe this was happening. Just a few days ago, he was at his lowest point, and now, here he was approved to start his official knight training. It was all so very exciting. But he was also nervous. He remembered what his father had said about Rhea, on the day that Roscoe was attacked. He also remembered what the Pegasus Knight he had killed had told him. That the church was apparently lying to the people. It made him feel confused. He had wanted to be a knight since he was a child… but now… he had a bit of doubt. But when he looked at Lady Rhea's face, and saw the serene look she was giving him, he felt at ease. Like all of his doubts had melted away. He couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you, Lady Rhea. You've been helping me so much these past few days, I owe you so much already. I don't know why you are doing this… anyone else would have just ignored me. They would have just sent me on my way but you-"

"I would never!" she exclaimed, cutting him off. She placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Marshall was one of my best knights. He started here as a squire, despite being trained by the royal knights. He earned his keep, and became a full fledged Knight of Seiros. He worked hard, and achieved so much. But I failed him. I failed him and that's why he left. If I had been more cautious, if I had cared more about the well-being of my knights, he wouldn't have left, he would still be here."

He thought back on what his father had said. How she had apparently lost her mind, trying to find Jeralt and his child, his current professor. He didn't know all the details, and couldn't necessarily comment. He shook his head, placing his hand over her own, the Crest of Seiros glinting slightly in the night.

"You can't blame yourself for that, Lady Rhea. We all make mistakes. Perhaps he realized it was his time to leave. He did say the final act you did for him was to marry him to my mother. I am grateful for that. It's thanks to you that me and my sister are together even now. He may have hidden his Knighthood from me, but it's my duty to follow in his footsteps. Whatever happened in the past between you two… you shouldn't blame yourself. After all these years, I'm sure he would have forgiven you."

"Do you really believe that?" the woman asked softly. He nodded, giving her a smile.

"I do, my dad was never the type to hold a grudge. Mother ended up eating the slice of pie my neighbor gave him and he said "I will never speak with you again!" and that night we were playing Uno in the living room having the time of our lives." he said, chuckling. "Though I will admit, not talking to the love of your life for a slice of pie is kind of asinine."

"Those two were always having petty arguments like that." the woman admitted, holding back a giggle. "I remember Yuliana getting really angry with him over a rather contrived reason. He told her that he would be busy maintaining the weapons for his detainment of knights and that he was going to be gone, and she didn't speak to him for an entire day because he didn't bring back eggs for the next morning. Even when he brought back several dozen eggs, she wouldn't talk to him."

"Pfft… that does sound like something mother would do. I remember this other time, father ended up breaking her special staff. She had told him that she would bash him in the knee if he ever broke another staff. So he accidentally broke the one my sister had been training with and she bashed his knees with it. I was trying not to die of laughter while my sister was using her newly learned healing spell to fix his knees." he said. The two shared a laugh, though it lasted only for a second. He lowered his gaze, staring at the ground. "I'm gonna miss that man."

"As will I." Rhea said in a sad tone. She wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him close to her. "We were good friends, I would have loved to have met you kids when you were younger."

"I heard a lot about you from the other villagers, those that visited the monastery, and whenever the knights came by. You always seemed so imposing, but you feel like an aunt to me. Or well… an older sister." Max admitted, making the woman smile.

"I'm glad that you see me as a sister then, it's quite endearing to hear you say that." she said. They remained quiet for a few moments, both staring up at the moon. The soft breeze felt great on his skin, it made him forget about the stress of the entire day. Rhea noticed this, and smiled as well, she was glad that he was genuinely happy.

"Lady Rhea, I have a question. It's about Saint Seiros, I figured if anyone knew the facts about her, it would be you."

"I see." she said softly. She turned to fully face the young man, giving him a slight nod. "You may ask me anything you'd like."

"Alright, it's about her crest, the one that I have." he said, looking down at his hand. "In the book I read about Sir Maximus, it was briefly mentioned that she passed her crest to Wilhelm I by sharing her blood. That's the reason House Hresvelg has the Crest of Seiros. My question is… did Maximus also possess her crest?"

"I do not believe he did. He was her most loyal follower and her most loyal knight. While I believe she would have granted him her crest, I believe her himself chose not to bear it." the woman replied.

"Hmm… that's an interesting stance. I would have thought he of all people would accept such a kind gift from the woman he swore to protect. Most stories state that the two lead long happy lives. I had assumed he and Saint Seiros even bared children."

"P-perhaps." Rhea said, looking rather embarrassed. Max however didn't notice this, and continued with his questions.

"So… if he didn't bare her crest, and the Hresvelg Family did, is it possible that someone from that family could have been… I dunno, disinherited for not bearing it?"

"I suppose that is possible. Why are you asking all of these questions so suddenly?" the archbishop asked, a slight confused tone in her voice.

"I'm trying to figure out how I got this crest. It makes no sense to me." he said, looking at the mark on his hand. "I know you don't particularly have this crest, so you sharing blood with me wouldn't have given it to me. I have a small theory that I may have descended from someone who was disinherited by House Hresvelg."

"That is rather unlikely but… there is no other answer. No one was expecting you to awaken to a crest, especially a Major Crest of Seiros. Perhaps Professor Hanneman could trace your lineage. He's quite good at doing that. Of course, we would need a blood sample from Yuliana to get anywhere." Rhea said, earning a sigh from the boy.

"I was hoping to avoid that, but you are right. I guess I've got no choice but to wait, maybe formulate my own theories on this. Thanks for answering my questions Lady Rhea, I'm sure you think all of this is weird. But it's necessary, at least for me to get closure for everything that's going on." he said.

"It's quite alright. I'm certain you would have started asking questions whenever you got curious. I promise to help you as much as I can, and will do everything in my power for me to answer all the questions you have."

"Thank you. It's all I could ever ask for. I promise, I'm going to take my knight training seriously. I should get going. It's getting late and I'm certain I got a big day tomorrow. Especially since I'm going to teach Hilda the joys of farming! I hope you have a good night Lady Rhea."

With that he took off, leaving the archbishop alone with her thoughts. She frowned, glancing back at the moon. She tugged on her sleeve, exposing the mark she had on her skin. A Crest of Seiros, the same one the young knight-to-be had on the back of his hand.

"I pray for the day where I will be able to tell you the truth. I know that day is not any time soon, for now, I shall do my best to guide you. It is the only thing I can do in your father's place."

**Max and Rhea have reached support rank C**

* * *

_**xxx(End of Chapter 5)xxxx**_

**Gained Supports-**

**Golden Deer House: **

**F!Byleth: C**

**Claude:**

**Nowi: C**

**Raphael:**

**Lysithea: C**

**Leonie:**

**Ignatz:**

**Hilda:**

**Marianne:**

**Lorenz:**

* * *

**Church of Seiros: **

**Rhea: C**

**Seteth:**

**Flayn: C**

**Hanneman:**

**Manuela:**

**?:**

**?:**

**?:**

**?:**

* * *

**Blue Lion House:**

**Harper: C**

* * *

**Black Eagle House: **

* * *

**A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait on this chapter. I've been a bit busy with Thanksgiving and a lot of other things. I was playing the new Pokemon Game, as well as finishing Tales of Berseria, a game that I had started a while ago but didn't finish. This chapter has been finished for a while but I just neglected posting it until now. I'm not exactly sure when Chapter 6 will come out, but that will be the ending of the first arc. I would like to replay the game so I have everything fresh in my mind and I can fully work on the plot of this story. The next arc will most likely feature a small timeskip, probably to the Wyvern Moon, I haven't decided yet. Everything is up in limbo at the moment haha. I'm also working on Max's profile, putting the finishing touches on it as I will be referring to it throughout the story, so I can get all his supports down pat. He's gonna have a lot of em. I actually removed some of the ones he had beforehand, because I felt he had way too many supports and I wouldn't get all of the C and B supports done before the War Phase of the story.**

**Let's see here... I don't think I have anything else to say, except I'm working on a few stories at once. It's been a long time since I've juggled so many stories and I am very happy about that. I say various, but it's actually just one other story haha. Though I doubt I'll be posting that one here anytime soon. I've been thinking up stuff for a new one though, so I might get a chapter out for it, maybe. Once I work out all the kinks. Whelp, now that I posted this, I will retreat to my cavern and continue toiling away at new works of writing for all of you to read. Like I said before, I dunno when Chapter 6 will be posted, but it shall be soon, hopefully. See you all later!**


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